Ben Carson believes President Donald Trump could soften his stance on athletes kneeling for the national anthem ... saying he'll "work with" POTUS to understand the message.
Of course, Trump has been one of the most outspoken critics against kneeling ... and recently said he'd stop watching soccer and football if protests continued.
POTUS also famously said to fire any "son of a bitch" who knelt, back in 2017.
Carson -- the Housing and Urban Development Secretary and the only black member of Trump's cabinet -- discussed the issue on the Hugh Hewitt Show .