Why Tom Brady Turned Down Donald Trump’s 2016 RNC Invite to Speak
Howard Stern is known for getting his guests to open up and share more than they’re usually comfortable with. One of his more recent guests was no different: New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady.
Brady talked about everything under the sun with Stern: his home life, his high school marijuana use, and his decision to leave the Patriots. One aspect of the interview many people found interesting, however, was when he discussed his friendship with President Donald Trump.
Here’s what Brady had to say about it and why he turned down an invite to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Who is Tom Brady?
Brady is, quite simply, the best quarterback to ever play in the NFL. Some have had better arm strength and others have been more accurate, but no one has the sterling record of achievement Brady has.
His career began humbly: He was a sixth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2000. Initially backing up then-starter Drew Bledsoe, Brady sat for a year before a Bledsoe gave him an opportunity to jump into the lineup. Brady never relinquished the opportunity, leading the Pats to a Super Bowl championship in his first season at the helm.
Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowls overall, winning six of them. Other than Joe Montana and his four rings and Troy Aikman and his three, no quarterback has come close to winning as many titles as Brady. While he left the Patriots this season and it’s unclear how much greatness he has left in him at 43, his legacy is already secure. He’s the G.O.A.T. (the greatest of all time).
Tom Brady’s friendship with Donald Trump
Brady’s celebrity status has opened up many gateways for him off the football field. It enabled him to marry his supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen.
It also gave him the opportunity to rub elbows with many other celebrities. One of those celebrities he struck up a friendship with? None other than former reality TV show host and current President Trump.
On his recent appearance with Howard Stern, Brady touched on his friendship with Trump. Apparently, the two found a connection on the golf course and when Trump attended a few of Brady’s games:
“He always had a way of connecting with people and still does…Then the whole political aspect came, and I think I got brought into a lot of those things because it was so polarizing around the election time. It was uncomfortable for me because you can’t undo things, not that I would undo a friendship, but political support is a lot different than the support of a friend.”
Brady famously was caught “red-hatted” at one point, with someone seeing one of Trump’s bright red “Make America Great Again” baseball caps in his Patriots’ locker.
Why Tom Brady turned down Donald Trump’s 2016 RNC invite to speak
The Brady-Trump friendship caused Trump to ask Brady a big favor: as he was campaigning for president in 2016, Trump asked Brady to speak on his behalf at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Having someone as popular and well-known as Brady would have been quite an endorsement for Trump. Brady passed, however, not wanting to ruffle any feathers.
“He wanted me to speak at the convention, too, and I wasn’t going to do anything political.”
Brady may still consider Trump a friend, but he clearly doesn’t want much to do with him politically. It’s a smart move – someone as prominent in the public eye as Brady wouldn’t want to alienate half his fan base by supporting policies of one candidate over another.
