New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduced President Donald Trump at a campaign-style rally for Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in Suffern, New York, on May 22, and the fallout has dominated the NFL news cycle for the better part of a week.
His teammate, Abdul Carter, publicly called Dart out on X, posting that he thought the video was AI-generated. Both of them have since spoken privately, with Carter confirming the two worked things out “as men.” However, former NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko still has an issue with how Carter handled the situation.
Breiden Fehoko Accuses Abdul Carter of Ignoring John Harbaugh’s Ties to Donald Trump
Carter’s reaction sparked reactions from fans, media, and former players across the league, drawing divided responses along political lines. Some praised Carter for speaking his mind, while others argued he created an unnecessary distraction for a team that went 4-13 last season and is trying to build something new under first-year head coach John Harbaugh.
Fehoko, a CFP national champion with LSU who spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and two with the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring in November 2025, landed firmly in the second camp.
He pointed out that Harbaugh himself has a public relationship with Trump, having met with the president at the White House alongside his brother Jim. Trump endorsed John Harbaugh for the Giants job during the coaching search in January, yet Carter never directed any public frustration toward his head coach.
“Abdul Carter when you are done addressing Jaxson Dart the “leader” of your team. I’m interested to see you address the head coach and possibly the other 70% of that locker room who are all republicans,” Fehoko wrote on X. “Let me know your thoughts jit. My goodness you can’t fix stupid.”
“Abdul Carter in a nutshell. “I want Jaxson Dart to stand up for what he believes in,” Jaxson Dart stands up for what he believes in “I’m going to criticize him cause I don’t believe in what he believes in,” You can’t fix stupid in this country,” he said in another post.
Whether Fehoko’s comments about Carter are justified depends on perspective. Carter’s frustration appeared to arise from Dart’s public appearance, not from political beliefs, since the quarterback represents the entire team and organization. However, only calling out Dart and not others can be seen as a double standard.
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Unfortunately, the reality for the Giants is that this story won’t disappear on its own. Unless the team starts winning games under Harbaugh, the Dart-Carter exchange will linger as a symbol of a fractured locker room.
The pressure is on Harbaugh to keep this roster unified heading into a season in which the Giants have legitimate reasons for optimism, with Dart, Carter, and Cam Skattebo all entering their second years, and Malik Nabers entering his third. The talent is there to compete in the NFC East, but whether the chemistry matches it is now Harbaugh’s problem to solve before September.
