New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Donald Trump have known each other for 16 years. In September 2015, reporters spotted a Make America Great Again hat in Brady's locker. Only days before the presidential election, Trump claimed Tom Brady endorsed him:
"Tom Brady, great guy, great guy. Great guy, great friend of mine — great, great champion. Unbelievable winner," Trump told a crowd at a Manchester, New Hampshire, rally on the eve of the election. "He called today and he said, 'Donald, I support you, you're my friend, and I voted for you.'"
Trump continued: "And I said: 'So Tom. You voted for me, you support me, am I allowed to say it tonight at this massive crowd in New Hampshire?' He said, 'If you want to say it, you can say it.' OK? Tom, that's what a champ is all about."
When the Patriots won the Super Bowl in February, Trump was thrilled to see his future hall of fame backers win again.
A number of Brady’s teammates announced they would not attend the traditional ceremony at the White House honoring the Super Bowl champs. They did not want to meet or be seen with Toxic Trump. Patriots team captain Devin McCourty made the case for his absence, saying, "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't." In February, Brady said that was the choice of his teammates, but he was expected to attend to see one of his golfing-buddy-in-chief:
“It really is a great experience,” Brady said. “Putting politics aside, it never was a political thing. At least, it never was to me. It meant you won a championship and you got to experience something cool with your team, with your teammates. Everyone has their own choice. It’s an offseason. These days are valuable for everybody. You only get so much time with your family and friends, and if people don’t want to go they don’t want to go and that’s their choice.”
And today, on the day the celebration was supposed to take place, Brady is leaving Trump out to dry. The five time Super Bowl champion suddenly has better things to do:
Sad! Nobody wants to be seen with the most unpopular president in modern history.