Is he or isn't he? That was the question for Tom Brady Tuesday. Appearing on WEEI's "Dennis & Callahan" show, the Patriots QB was asked — again — if he's endorsing his buddy Donald Trump for president. You'll recall that earlier this season No. 12 said it "would be great" if Trump became the country's commander in chief. (Brady later backed away from that, saying he tries to "have fun with certain things . . . but some things, a lot of times, they get taken out of context.")
So is he is or isn't he? "Can I just stay out of this debate?" Brady said Tuesday. "Donald is a good friend of mine. I have known him for a long time. I support all my friends. That is what I have to say. He's a good friend of mine. He's always been so supportive of me — for the last 15 years, since I judged a beauty pageant for him. . . . He's always invited me to play golf. I've always enjoyed his company. I support all my friends in everything they do. I think it's pretty remarkable what he's achieved in his life. You're going from business, kind of an incredible business man and then a TV star, and then getting into politics. It's a pretty different career path. I think that is pretty remarkable."
Advertisement
More interesting would be Brady's views on Trump's controversial proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. That question didn't come up during QB's radio appearance Tuesday. Brady always has been circumspect about his politics, though he was a guest of George W. Bush at the 2004 State of the Union speech and skipped the Patriots's visit to the White House last April when the Super Bowl champs were invited by President Obama. It's not even clear if he votes. An official in Brookline, where Brady lives with his wife, Gisele Bundchen, said Tuesday there is no one named Tom Brady registered to vote in the town.
For his part, Trump doesn't seem bothered by Brady's ambivalence. "In Massachusetts, I'm at 48 percent. You know why? Tom Brady said Trump's the greatest," Trump told The Washington Post.
Advertisement
"He says it to anyone who asks him. You know, it's hard for a guy like him to say that. When you're a football player, you don't want to be taking sides in campaigns and having the Hillary [Clinton] people now say you're not as good as Bart Starr. You understand. So Tom Brady is great."
Names can be reached at names@globe.com. Follow Mark Shanahan on Twitter @MarkAShanahan.