Tom Brady finally opened up about his feelings over President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks on NFL players who protest the national anthem.
After Sunday’s show of unity by teams across the sport, Brady weighed in on the situation during his weekly chat with WEEI on Monday morning. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback called Trump’s comments “divisive” while offering support to his teammates.
“Yeah, I mean I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive,” Brady said. “I just want to support my teammates. I am never one that says, ‘Oh, that’s wrong,’ or ‘that’s right,’ but I do believe in what I believe in. I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust. Those are the values that my parents instilled in me, and that’s how I try to live every day.”
The 40-year-old star, who locked arms with his teammates while standing during Sunday’s national anthem at Gillette Stadium, also commented on the boos by Patriots fans directed at players who took a knee over the weekend.
“I think everyone has the right to do whatever they want to do,” Brady said. “If you don’t agree, that is fine. You can voice your disagreement, I think that is great. It’s part of our democracy. As long as it is done in a peaceful, respectful way, that is what our country has been all about.”
Brady has caught some flak in recent years for his reported friendship with Trump. Patriots owner Robert Kraft has also received some criticism for his support of the president, however, that didn’t stop him from speaking out over Trump’s “son of a bitch” remarks about NFL players.
“I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday,” Kraft said in a statement. “There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”
