Trump Under Fire for Bringing a Registered Sex Offender On Stage: 'Smashed the GOP’s Moral Compass'

Following a riveting week of testimony in his hush money trial in New York, former President Donald Trump returned to the road and campaigned on Saturday at a Jersey Shore beachside rally. The GOP frontrunner welcomed the now-disgraced NFL legend Lawrence Taylor on stage to announce his formal presidential choice. The New York Giants defender, who is regarded as the greatest defensive player in NFL history but also pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and soliciting a 160-year-old prostitute, said that he is a big fan of Trump.

As reported by Raw Story, Taylor said on the stage, "I just wanted to say I grew up a Democrat and I've always been a Democrat until I met this man right here. He will not have to worry nobody in my family ever voting for a Democrat again." Unsurprisingly, the entire event prompted a heated debate on social media. Peter Henlein, a veteran of the Iraq War and a conservative, wrote on X, "Today the GOP nominee for president gave a speech in New Jersey. He bought a registered sex offender on stage with him. MAGA!"

Another user quipped, "He needed to get a Black man on stage with him and the only one he could get was a sex offender? Still, hiring only the best!" A third user added, "Not surprised here. Trump has SMASHED the GOP’s moral compass into shitty tiny little pieces." A fourth user echoed, "When MAGA sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us."

Taylor is known to have battled several issues off the football field both during and after the end of his NFL career in 1993. A heated altercation with veteran Giants reporter Ernie Palladino resulted in Taylor choking him in a 1995 incident. Thereafter, he declared bankruptcy in 1998 and had at least two drug treatment stays under his belt, according to The Daily Mail. He was also arrested in 2009 after a hit-and-run in Miami, although no one was injured. He was then arrested the next year and pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of sexual misconduct and having relations with a minor sex worker.

Apart from Taylor's speech during the rally, Trump spent a significant portion of his address criticizing President Joe Biden, labeling him a 'moron.' He also attacked the border and economic policies of Biden. As per Fox News, Trump said, "The Biden price hikes are continuing to drain over $1,000 from the typical New Jersey family budget every single month." He added, "On day one, we will throw out Bidenomics, and we will reinstate MAGAnomics. And we’re going to bring manufacturing, tourism, and other industries back to New Jersey like we’ve never seen before."