Donald Trump has not asked Tom Brady to endorse him.
The main reason?
“No, because I told him not to,” Trump said on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan on Monday. “He’s got sponsors, he’s got all of his different things that he has to do. And I told him not to.
“I think he would do it if I asked him. I’ve never asked him to do it. But I think he’d do it if I asked him.”
The two have known each other since the Patriots quarterback judged a Trump beauty pageant after winning Super Bowl XXXVI. Brady had a Trump “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker earlier this season. But after saying it would be great if Trump won the presidency, Brady has tried to avoid the discussion and ensuing controversy.
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“Can I just stay out of this debate?” Brady said on WEEI in December. “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, which was one of the very first things that I did that I thought was really cool that came along with winning the Super Bowl. He’s always invited me to play golf and 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 businessman and then a TV star, and then getting into politics. It’s three different career paths. I think that is pretty remarkable.”
Trump was complimentary of Brady Monday, saying “he couldn’t be nicer,” but doesn’t want Brady to risk any of his sponsorships by endorsing him.
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“There was an article in GQ, he said, ‘Trump’s the biggest winner, you can’t beat Trump’ and all that stuff,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘Don’t do that, because you may have a sponsor that doesn’t like me.’ They may be liberal, they may be something. And I don’t want him to get involved in that stuff. It’s hard for athletes.”
He also said he hasn’t asked Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his son Jonathan for an endorsement.
“I am friends, [but] I’ve never asked them for their support,” he said. “If they want to support, they can support.”
Other Brady-related tidbits from Trump’s appearance:
Trump said Super Bowl 50 was boring without Brady in it.
“We needed our guy in there,” Trump said. “That was just a boring game. Am I the only one that thought that? … It was a terrible game, it was terribly played. The whole thing, it had a bad vibe. Well, we need Tom. We’re a little prejudiced, so anyways. Next year Tom will be in there.”
He also expressed great displeasure over Deflategate.
“I think it’s terrible, and I think that whole Deflategate is a disgrace, to be honest with you,” he said. “I think it’s a disgrace.”