Megyn Kelly responds to NFL controversy on her apolitical morning show by saying, 'Go USA'

Just a day after saying she was "done with politics for now," newly-minted NBC morning-show host Megyn Kelly lived up to her promise by dodging a question about whether she supports NFL players protesting racial inequality and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem at games.

Asked on Tuesday's show whether she'd take a knee, Kelly joked that she'd "never be at a sporting event," and opined that her legal background gave her a different interpretation of players protesting, and of people's criticism of players who knelt.

"I am a lover of the First Amendment," Kelly said. "In a way, this whole situation underscores the beauty of our country. Because those players have every right to take a knee, and those who object to it have every right to say they object."

"I believe that the fundamental principle, the bedrock of the First Amendment is the answer to speech we do not like is not less speech, it's more speech. So, I just sort of think - go USA, that's my feeling in watching it."

In the lead-up to her debut on Monday, Kelly and NBC have attempted to soften the sharp-elbowed former Fox News host's image, which was slightly at odds with the new show's position as a space void of politics.

Critics appeared to pan Kelly's first show: CNN and USA Today both dubbed it "awkward," The Washington Post called it a "morning-show Bride of Frankenstein," and Time said she "fails to connect" with her audience.