Stephen Colbert: NFL kneeling is against the flag like 'Gandhi's hunger strikes were a protest against snacking'

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert started the week off taking aim at Donald Trump's criticism of NFL players who've chosen to take a knee during the national anthem.

"How was your weekend," Colbert said. "I watched the news, and then to cheer up, I watched Ken Burns' 'Vietnam.' Slightly less divisive time in our nation's history."

Then Colbert started in on Trump and the NFL.

"For the last year, some NFL players have been kneeling during the national anthem to protest institutional racism," he said. "It started with then 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. It was a controversial protest, after all, the singing of the national anthem is a sacred time when red-blooded Americans stand up and run to the bathroom because that's when the line is the shortest."

Colbert shared one of Trump's tweets from Monday that said, "The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race."

"Wrong," Colbert said. "Kneeling during the national anthem has everything to do with race, just like your presidency. Those players are protesting racial injustice. They're not protesting the American flag. Saying that kneeling is a protest against the flag is like saying Gandhi's hunger strikes were a protest against snacking."

You can watch the clip below:

NOW WATCH: Here's why people are afraid of clowns - and what you can do to get over it