New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was on hand Friday to briefly introduce President Trump as he campaigned in the Empire State on behalf of Rep. Mike Lawler.
“What an honor, what a privilege it is to be here,” Dart told the crowd, after leading them in a Giants chant.
“I’m grateful, I’m honored,” he added, then introduced Trump, who gave the player a warm handshake.
Onstage, Trump riffed about the Giants star, who was drafted in 2025. The president called him a “future Hall of Fame-er” and a “beautiful guy” who has “got legs like tree trunks,” and he invoked the NFL QB as he railed against transgender people playing in sports leagues corresponding with their gender identity.
“I’m looking at Jaxson,” Trump said, “I’d like to know, is there any woman in the audience that thinks they can tackle that guy? Because I’d like to meet you. I’d like to shake your hand. I don’t know. Jaxson, you think you can play against women okay?…Don’t get involved Jaxson. Don’t answer that question”
Later, Trump gave another shoutout to Dart, mentioning him, seemingly at random, as he discussed the Democrats’ “autopsy” report on the 2024 election.
“It was called an autopsy. And they had typos, Jaxson, they had typos in every other sentence,” Trump said. “They had misspelled words. They had commas in the wrong location.”
Dart wasn’t previously known for being a highly visible Trump supporter.
The closest he came was in September, when the Giants QB condemned the killing of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk, though many liberals also condemned the ideologically motivated assassination.
“Praying for him and his family,” Dart wrote in a social media post. “Charlie did great things for our country!! Political Violence NEEDS TO STOP!! Pray for our country man. This is disgusting and sad.”
Commentators met Dart’s appearance at the rally with mixed reactions.
“I remember a time when the NFL was writing BLM in their end zones,” Charles Downs, a correspondent for the right-wing Loomer Unleashed, wrote on X, seemingly referring to the league’s multiple years of featuring “End Racism” end zone messages. “Now, NFL quarterbacks are introducing President Trump in New York. The American culture is changing. Wokeness is almost canceled.”
Others pointed to a perceived double-standard for pro athletes getting involved in politics. For instance, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick faced waves of criticism and alleged he was blackballed from the league for kneeling before games to protest racism.
“Where are the shut up and just play football people,” sports journalist Mike Freeman wrote on X.
The president has enjoyed support from NFL figures in the past — Patriots legend Tom Brady once had a MAGA hat in his locker, and Trump has had an on-again, off-again friendship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft — but aligning with a rising star such as Dart could be a major boost for the Republican, whose support is declining among young people.
The Giants are hoping Dart becomes the team’s new franchise player, after a string of mostly losing seasons since previous QB mainstay Eli Manning retired in 2020.
During his rookie season, Dart managed to notch some impressive stats, despite vying with veteran Russell Wilson for the starter’s spot.
With 12 starts, Dart became the first rookie QB in NFL history to end the season with more than 2,000 passing yards and 450 rushing yards, though the Giants finished with an abysmal 4-13 record and missed the playoffs.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
About the Author
