GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump began a rally in Warwick, Rhode Island, on Monday with a message of support for a prominent NFL star. You can probably guess who it was.
"First of all, let's start by saying, leave Tom Brady alone! Leave him alone. Leave him alone," Trump said, drawing wild cheers from New England-area supporters. "He's a great guy. It's enough, it's enough."
On Monday, a federal appeals court overturned Judge Richard Berman's ruling to vacate Brady's four-game suspension for allegedly having knowledge about tampered footballs ahead of the January 2015 AFC Championship Game. Brady and Trump have been connected since a red cap with the Trump slogan "Make America Great Again" was spotted in Brady's locker last year.
Brady called Trump "a good friend" in an interview with WEEI in Boston last December. "I have known him for a long time. I support all my friends. That is what I have to say."
Trump has been much more vocal about his cozy relationship with the four-time Super Bowl champion. Trump told The New York Times in March he believed his friendship with Brady played a role in The Donald's blowout primary victory in Massachusetts.
"Honestly, in that part of the world, a reference like Tom Brady saying Trump's the biggest winner, Trump is a friend of mine, that makes an incredible difference," Trump said. "Tom Brady is a great friend of mine. He's a winner and he likes winners. He was very helpful to us in Massachusetts on Tuesday."
If Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton picks Judge Berman as her running mate, we will update this post.
