New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady appeared Monday at the town clerk’s office in Brookline to fill out an absentee ballot, a vote that Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump said was cast for him.
Brady completed his ballot about 8 a.m. at Town Hall, roughly two hours after he appeared on the “Kirk & Callahan” radio show and told the WEEI-FM audience that he planned to vote, but without saying who he was supporting in the presidential election.
Brookline officials said Tuesday that Brady not only voted, but also posed for photographs with staff at Town Hall. Under state law, officials can confirm whether a person voted in an election, but cannot disclose how the person voted.
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While Trump has repeatedly claimed to have the star athlete's backing during the campaign, Brady has kept silent about his choice, even walking away from reporters last month when asked for his views on the election.
About 12 hours after Brady voted, Trump took the stage in New Hampshire and said he had received a telephone call from him.
“Tom Brady,” Trump said Monday evening to a roaring crowd, “great guy, great friend of mine, great, great champion, unbelievable winner. He called today and he said, ‘Donald, I support you, you’re my friend, and I voted for you.’ ’’
“This guy is a champ and a winner, and he is a great person,” Trump continued. “So I said, ‘Tom, you voted for me, you support me, am I allowed to say it tonight to this massive crowd in New Hampshire?’ He said, ‘If you want to say it, you can say it.’ ”
Brady’s wife, model Gisele Bundchen, is not registered to vote in Brookline, according to town officials. On her Instagram account Friday, Bundchen was asked whether it was true that she and her husband were supporting Trump, and she replied, “No.’’
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Trump also claimed the support of Bill Belichick, reading aloud what he said was a letter from the Patriots head coach praising Trump for handling “an unbelievable, slanted, and negative media, and have come out beautifully.”
According to the Hingham Town Clerk’s office, Belichick did not vote early and did not fill out an absentee ballot. Belichick lives in the town’s 5th precinct. and the polling place is at the Hingham Middle School, according to town records.
John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.