(Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Donald Trump announced Monday that New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady and the team’s coach are supporting his campaign for president.
Trump told supporters in this Patriots-supporting battleground state on the eve of Election Day that Brady called him earlier in the day to tell him he voted for him, and that he could share the news with supporters. Trump also said he received a letter of support from Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who urged Trump to share the letter with supporters during his rally here Monday night.
“Donald, I support you, you’re my friend and I voted for you,” Trump said Brady told him over the phone on Monday, drawing ear-shattering applause from the crowd of more than 11,000 supporters, based on the venue’s capacity.
While Trump said Brady told him he had already voted, the Patriots quarterback said in an interview Monday morning that he had not yet voted and planned to vote either later in the day or Tuesday.
“No, I haven’t voted yet,” Brady said on the WEEI Boston’s “Kirk & Callahan Show” when asked.
Unless Brady voted by mailing in an absentee ballot, he could not have voted early on Monday. Early voting ended Friday in Massachusetts.
Trump then read a letter he said he received from Belichick, in which the Patriots coach said he hoped Trump would clinch the presidency on Tuesday.
“You’ve proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter,” Trump said, reading Belichick’s letter. “Hopefully tomorrow’s election results will give the opportunity to make America great again.”
Trump also said Belichick wrote that the Republican nominee has faced a “slanted media and have come out beautifully.”
Representatives for Brady and Belichick did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump frequently touted his friendship with the Patriots quarterback during his primary campaign in this state, but Brady has declined to publicly endorse Trump. The two have talked about playing golf together and Brady has said Trump has been very supportive throughout his career and called him a “good friend.”
Trump teed up the news earlier Monday on Twitter, tweeting that he had “big news to share in New Hampshire tonight!”
