Donald Trump on ‘Deflategate’ Scandal: ‘Leave Tom Brady Alone’
Donald Trump thinks the U.S. Appeals Court needs to “leave Tom Brady alone” when it comes to the “Deflategate” scandal that the New England Patriots had to deal with in 2015. After hearing that the federal appeals court reinstated the four-game suspension initially dealt to Tom Brady, Trump — who was busy campaigning in Rhode Island for the primary on Tuesday — began a speech in front of a very pro-Brady crowd (he was in Warwick, Rhode Island, less than 40 miles from Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots) by crying out for the controversial quarterback.
Trump: Leave Tom Brady alone #deflategate https://t.co/nZr1AtOo2E
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) April 25, 2016
If any Patriots fans are having trouble deciding between Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich, Trump wants the potential voters to know that he is pro-Brady when it comes to his policy on Deflategate.
What Is “Deflategate”?
On January 18, 2015 — long before anyone knew Donald Trump would be a serious contender for the GOP Presidential nomination — Tom Brady and the New Patriots played the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game. After humiliating the Colts 45-7, Tom Brady was accused of having the game balls deflated to levels that weren’t within NFL guidelines. Some of the evidence was suspect, and the Patriots actually performed worse offensively in the first half (17 points) when they were accused of using deflated balls than they did in the second half (28 points), when they were playing with regulation balls.
12 ways Tom Brady can spend his #Deflategate suspension https://t.co/wbQGJMzHdt pic.twitter.com/sLsqkDWrjD
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) April 25, 2016
After their investigation into the matter, the NFL announced a four-game suspension for Tom Brady, to be served without pay during the first four games of the 2015 NFL regular season. Of course, that decision would be appealed.
What Did The Courts Say About “Deflategate”?
After the NFL Players Association got involved, the case was eventually taken to the United States District Court for the South District of New York, where the judge ultimately ruled that the suspension be thrown out. While the NFL announced they would appeal the decision, Brady did not serve a suspension for Deflategate during the 2015 season.
Judge: #Brady destroying his phone was a key to ruling against him. https://t.co/dCNuKVDzIv #Deflategate pic.twitter.com/UNfQE3SmvO
— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) April 25, 2016
On Monday, however, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the NFL and reinstated the initial four-game suspension handed to Tom Brady by Roger Goodell. It was in regards to this decision that Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump said to his followers in Rhode Island that it was time to “leave Tom Brady alone.”
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The Donald Trump/Tom Brady relationship
As reported by the Boston Herald, Tom Brady doesn’t support Donald Trump as outwardly as once thought. Although both men have admitted that they are friends and that they’ve golfed together, it’s not clear that Tom Brady endorses Donald Trump for president. While Brady was shown to have a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker during the NFL season, he’s hasn’t said for sure that he fully supports the Trump campaign. Although he said at that time that he hoped Trump would win, he has since changed his tune, saying that endorsement wasn’t taken in the proper context.
Trump: "Leave Tom Brady alone" https://t.co/u6XwbdzrIe pic.twitter.com/xeVynUyhQE
— The Hill (@thehill) April 25, 2016
While Tom Brady may not be 100 percent on board, other celebrities endorse Donald Trump openly. Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty supports Donald Trump for president, as does Mike Tyson. Other celebrities that have endorsed Donald Trump include Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, Gary Busey, Dennis Rodman, and Tila Tequila.
[Image via Around The NFL/Twitter]