Sports and politics crossing over is nothing new in 2026. The only difference now is that every endorsement is looked at with a magnifying glass. That’s exactly what happened with the recent interaction between current U.S. President Donald Trump and Jaxson Dart, whom he introduced at a political rally in New York.
While the news has made its way onto mainstream news networks like CNN and Fox News, it’s remained a hot topic for retired NFL players, but what are they saying?
How are Retired NFL Players Reacting to the Donald Trump-Jaxson Dart Interaction?
Responding to a Mike Garafolo X post around Dart, addressing his teammates regarding the situation and saying the team would move forward, former John Harbaugh-coached and Baltimore Ravens receiver Torrey Smith said, “It’s not as simple as republican and democratic. He wouldn’t have to have these conversations if the President had any standards and operated as a decent man.”
Responding to Smith, outspoken and retired NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko questioned him, asking, “You played under John Harbaugh correct? A guy who openly supports the president? Have you had these conversations with him?”
While Fehoko isn’t incorrect, Harbaugh hasn’t branded himself exactly the way Dart has, though he has been outspoken.
Back in 2015, Harbaugh told reporters at a Ravens practice that, “I’m going Trump here,” when speaking about border security.
He went on to say, “Build the wall. It’s not that hard. If you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. At the same time, we’ve got 12-15 million hard-working people here. Give them a shot! Give them a chance to become a citizen!”
Additionally, in 2025, Harbaugh visited Trump’s White House, and when questioned by Ravens reporters about it, Harbaugh said, “I root for our president.”
It’s clear Harbaugh supports Trump, a sentiment reciprocated as recently as 2026, when the Ravens fired Harbaugh. Following his exit from Baltimore, Trump endorsed him for NFL head coaching jobs, and Harbaugh later said the endorsement felt “really great.”
Despite the drama, the 2026 Giants look to be turning over a new leaf, according to Garafolo’s confirmation that the team met to discuss moving past this incident, which is great news for Giants fans.
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There hasn’t been this much excitement for them in years, with now a franchise quarterback and a Super Bowl-winning head coach in place.
If they can keep distractions to a minimum, they could have a chance to make some noise in the NFC East this season.
