Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won’t be able to avoid left of center backlash over their respective ties to President Trump — especially after winning Super Bowl LIII during his tenure in the White House.
Trump has repeatedly hailed Brady and the Patriots, who took home their third Super Bowl championship since 2015 on Sunday in a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams, as “winners.” The president has flaunted his close, personal friendships with the star quarterback, team head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft — who has dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, ABC News reported.
"@DanScavino:Tom Brady & @realDonaldTrump make for solid golf partners at Trump National Golf Club. #PatriotsVSColts pic.twitter.com/d2t8XAjf4x"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2015
But Brady has attempted to be evasive in the public eye when questioned about his relationship with Trump, which has done nothing to assuage fans’ assumptions of a friendship.
Brady was spotted with a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker in Sept. 2015 and was known to have golfed with Trump before the self-proclaimed billionaire became president.
Thank you to Tom Brady, Coach Ditka, Coach Bobby Knight and all of the many champions that have been so supportive!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2015
“Now that he’s running for president he sent me a hat and he gave it to RKK weeks ago,” Brady said about the MAGA cap while calling his team’s owner by his initials. “So it found its way to my locker.
“I’ve known [Trump] since 2002 when I judged one of his beauty pageants … so I’ve known him for a long time,” Brady added. “He always gives me a call and different types of motivational speeches at different times.”
But even those comments have given motivation to critics, too.
Last week, actor Daniel Radcliffe, a noted NFL fan, said that he’d be rooting for the Rams during Sunday’s championship game — though he didn’t actually think Los Angeles could beat the Pats — “because the whole world is rooting against the Patriots, sorry.”
“Take that MAGA hat of your locker!” Radcliffe told Variety.
I feel like that was the moment where as a country, we were all like c’mon dude … you’re awesome, we’re behind you, don’t put that in there.”
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