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Donald Trump went on a podcast co-hosted by Bill Belichick
Trump said he has "a lot of respect" for Belichick.
On the eve of the 2024 election, Donald Trump joined the “Let’s Go!” podcast — co-hosted by former Patriots coach Bill Belichick — to share his thoughts on several sports topics.
The discussion with Trump covered a range of issues, including the proliferation of legalized sports betting, equal pay for women’s sports, youth sports participation, an upcoming celebrity boxing match, and the possible merger of the PGA and LIV Golf. The Republican nominee often strayed from the topic of the question he was asked.
Trump was questioned about the impact of NIL (name, image, and likeness) on the NCAA, and if the new policies would change “college sports as we know it.” He eventually turned the conversation to the subject of the NFL’s new kickoff rule.
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“If the coach likes it, I’m OK with it,” Trump said of the rule.
“Well you know I’m a traditionalist, so I don’t like those changes,” Belichick interjected.
Having praised Belichick in the past, Trump took a moment to pay credit to the eight-time Super Bowl champion.
“I have a lot of respect for the man we have on the phone, the coach,” Trump said of Belichick. “I think he’s a great coach and a guy.”
Toward the end of the interview, Belichick presented Trump with a question tying in sports and politics.
“You know, Mr. President, you mentioned earlier about sports unifying and bringing people together, and I think we all know that,” Belichick said. “How do you think sports can help bring our country together on Wednesday, Nov. 6? How would you help do that?”
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“Well, it’s going to be an interesting day,” Trump replied. In his answer, he incorrectly claimed to be leading in “all seven swing states” (polling consistently shows Kamala Harris and Trump are essentially deadlocked in several states).
“I mean I see it going on now. I guess I have a lead,” he told Belichick and Gray. “Look, I’m leading in all seven swing states, and we’re doing pretty well, I guess. We’ll find out about it. You’ll read about it.
“You know, it’s sort of like the Super Bowl times 1,000,” Trump added.
He continued in his response, but pivoted to his recollection of a dispute between the NFL and a Canadian television regulatory agency (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) during his administration. He did not return to the subject of Belichick’s original question.
At the end of the interview, Gray asked Trump how he felt on the eve of the election.
“I feel great,” he replied. “It is what it is.”
“I think we’re doing really well,” Trump added after an expansive tangent about his political rallies. “You know, we’re against a system. I don’t view [Vice President Kamala Harris] as a candidate, I view the Democratic Party as the system. It’s a system. It’s just the way it is, and it’s very interesting to watch. Let’s see if I can take down that system. I did it once very successfully.
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“This is more exciting — I hate to say it, coach — but this is more exciting than any football game.”
Belichick showed support for Trump prior to the 2016 election, writing him a letter that the Republican nominee read aloud at a rally in New Hampshire. It read:
“Congratulations on a tremendous campaign. You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and have come out beautifully. Beautifully. You’ve proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you but the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow’s election, results will give the opportunity to make America great again. Best wishes for great results tomorrow, Bill Belichick.”
In Jan. 2021, Belichick was set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump, but ultimately declined. He cited “the tragic events” of Jan. 6, 2021, in which supporters of Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in multiple deaths.
Though Belichick has maintained that his support for Trump isn’t political — a point he tried to make during an interview for “The Dynasty” documentary series — some of his former players nonetheless took issue with it.
“When the letter came out, I felt kinda like, man, we got kind of bamboozled,” former Patriots safety Devin McCourty confided in an interview for series. “Bill always said things like, ‘We don’t want to have to be in the media talking about these different things.’ Like, I had some opinions I might have wanted to share, but out of respect to the team I didn’t.”
“I personally thought it was very hypocritical,” longtime Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater said of Belichick’s letter during another “Dynasty” interview. “’The Patriot Way,’ it starts with respecting the men you work alongside and trying to put the team first. That’s the foundation for this place. I just don’t think he was connected enough with his players at the time to realize that that was going to have an impact on the locker room.”
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