Michael Strahan sets the record straight after the controversy that erupted when he didn’t put his hand on his heart during the national anthem during Fox’s Veterans Day tribute on Sunday, November 10.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, November 12, the former NFL star turned commentator addressed the incident and expressed his appreciation for the military.

“I didn’t have my hand on my chest, everyone was thinking ‘he’s protesting, he’s making a statement’, which is so far from the truth. I have nothing to protest. I have no statement to make,” Strahan, 52, said in the video.

“The only statement that should be made and that I want to make is that I love the military. I have always loved the military, and I always will love the military…for someone to say I am unpatriotic couldn’t be further from the truth,” he added.

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Strahan went on to explain that the reason he didn’t place his hand on his heart while the national anthem played was because he was “caught up in the moment” with the “incredible” young sailors who were present at the event. Fox NFL Sunday Special Veterans Day segment at Naval Base San Diego.

He also apologized if any members of the military were “offended” by the fact that he did not place his hand over his heart during the national anthem, but instead chose to place his hands at his sides .

A day earlier, Jay Glazer, Strahan’s co-host on Fox Sports, defended him over the incident with a job on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“I just saw the reviews of @michaelstrahan. Let me tell you this, I don’t know if I have a friend who is more proud of his military roots than Michael, having grown up on a military base and constantly talking about what he learned from his father, Maj. Gene Strahan, and his time there. shaped him.” Glazer, 54, took office Nov. 11.

Todd Starnes, Newsmax host called Strahan to his 263,000 followers on X shortly after the segment aired on Fox, saying Strahan “disrespected the military” when he kept his hands at his side. Starnes said Strahan’s behavior was “not just disgusting, but downright cowardly.”

Strahan frequently paid tribute to his father, Maj. Gene Strahan, for his 23 years of service in the Army as a “proud member” of the 82nd Airborne Division.

On Veterans Day 2024, Strahan posted about his father again on his Instagram Stories.

“Thank you to all veterans and active military personnel who courageously risk their lives to protect us every day. Your selfless service is beyond measure,” he said. “Just as I honor my father, I keep you all in my thoughts every day, for we would not have the security and freedoms that we cherish without you. THANKS.”