President Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE said in a new interview that “a lot of people in the NFL” have called him to thank him for passing criminal justice reform.

Trump told host Margaret Brennan on CBS's "Face the Nation" that he has done what past presidents “tried” to do in criminal justice reform.

“Everybody wanted to do it,” he said. “And I got it done and … a lot of people in the NFL have been calling and thanking me for it.”

The Hill has reached out to the NFL for comment.

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Trump, who has repeatedly railed against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, said that he “took care of” the issues players have been protesting with the passage of his bipartisan criminal justice bill late last year.

“A lot of [the protest] is having to do with reform, from what I understand,” he said. “Whether it's criminal justice or whatever, it may be and they have different versions and everybody seemed to have a different version of it. But a lot of it had to do with that, and I took care of that.”

In boasting about the criminal justice bill, Trump also sidestepped questions from Brennan about his handling of race issues. He also echoed his past statements about low African-American unemployment, saying: “Best numbers they've had — literally the best numbers they've had in history. And I think they like me a lot and I like them a lot.”

Trump also pointed to a recent rise in the NFL’s ratings, tying it to the kneeling protests losing steam in the league, and again said players should not kneel during the anthem.

“I think that people have to, at all times, respect our flag and at all times respect … our national anthem and our country,” he told Brennan. “And I think there are plenty of places and times you can protest and you can do a lot. But you can't do that. That's my opinion.”

He also said he has moved past his differences with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, which came to a head over the protests, after ensuring that a provision benefiting the NFL was included in his new trade deal with Canada.

The comments come ahead of Sunday evening's Super Bowl game between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Trump is known to be a fan and friend of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, as well as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

He also said in the interview that he would let his son, Barron Trump, play football “if he wanted to,” but said that he would not “steer him that way” saying the sport is “dangerous.”

“I hate to say it because I love to watch football,” Trump said. “I think the NFL is a great product, but I really think that as far as my son— well I've heard NFL players saying they wouldn't let their sons play football. So. It's not totally unique, but I— I would have a hard time with it.”