Watch: Tom Brady Responds to Reporter's Question About White House Visit
One of the biggest and most understated reasons that New England Patriots Tom Brady was so upset about his four-game suspension related to “Deflategate” had nothing to do with the money he would lose, the games he would miss or the teammates and fans he would let down.
It had to do with his image.
Despite the “aw, shucks” image Brady often portrays, he is unquestionably a calculated and shrewd operator when it comes to cultivating that very image. That’s not necessarily a knock against the man, but it’s something even fair-minded Patriots fans would likely admit.
Did you notice that Brady’s carefully cultivated family-man image almost always ignores his previous relationship (Brady has a son with actress Bridget Moynahan) and the somewhat ignominious manner in which he quickly moved on from his then-pregnant girlfriend to start dating his current wife? That is very much by design.
Did you notice the fervor with which the media and many fans reacted when a red “Make America Great Again” hat was spotted in Brady’s locker room during a post-game interview in 2015? There’s a reason he has practically gone silent about all matters political since then, even though he and President Donald Trump have said they are longtime friends.
That did not change Thursday when Brady was asked during a charity event about his plans for the Patriots’ upcoming trip to the White House.
When WYCN-TV‘s Perry Russom broached the subject of whether Brady plans to join his team for the traditional sports champions’ visit, the quarterback’s response was interesting.
“Hey Tom, do you have plans on going to the White House for the celebration?” Russom asked.
Brady looked to the audience and raised his hand. When the crowd responded with a mixture of laughs and grumbles, he gave his answer:
“Next question. I mean, God.”
Here’s the clip: @NBC10Boston pic.twitter.com/WtDMW7pz9v
— Perry Russom NBC10 Boston (@PerryNBCBoston) February 7, 2019
Brady skipped the Patriots’ 2017 visit to the White House. At the time, he cited prior family commitments as his reason for not going, but rumors persisted that he did not attend at the behest of his wife, Gisele Bundchen, who has made it clear that she does not support Trump.
If Brady doesn’t go this time, he’ll be joining Patriots teammates Duron Harmon, Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty, all of whom have said they are skipping the White House trip.
The attendance of athletes at White House championship celebrations has become a hot-button issue during Trump’s presidency.
It’s confounding that what’s little more than a glorified photo op has been turned into a grand political statement.
That backdrop is probably why Brady’s decision still seems to be completely up in the air.
If past history is anything to go by, it would be unsurprising for another “family commitment” to crop up.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
