Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan stood out at Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate — for not putting his hand over his heart for the singing of the national anthem.

“Put your hand over your heart for the star spangled banner Tim Ryan!!! #DemocraticDebate,” said Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Arizona Sen. John McCain, on Twitter.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ari Fleischer, press secretary for President George W. Bush, likened Ryan’s keeping his hands folded in front of him to ​former San Francisco 49ers quarterback ​Colin Kaepernick’s taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem before NFL games.

“Happening now: Will any of the Dems take a knee for the national anthem?” Cruz ​sounded off on Twitter.

​”​Rep. Tim Ryan didn’t put his hand over his heart during the national anthem. I guess he’s appealing to the Kaepernick wing of the Democratic Party​,” Fleischer posted​.

​Ryan, asked after the debate about people criticizing him for not placing his hand over his heart, responded: “I love this country as much as everybody else.”​

“The national anthem plays at football games, I put my hand on my heart for the Pledge of Allegiance,” he told ABC News. “I don’t know, the choir was singing and it was great.”