Donald Trump Reacts to New England Patriots, Bill Belichick's 'Hard Time'
Bill Belichick's quest to make Foxborough great again isn't going so well.
Belichick's approval ratings as New England Patriots head coach are likely at an all-time low after what's transpired over the last two weeks. The long-tenured boss has faced the worst losses of his New England career in consecutive contests, enduring a 34-0 shellacking at home at the hands of the New Orleans Saints a week after he dropped a 38-3 decision to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Patriots' struggles have caught the attention of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who commented on Foxborough's fallen fortunes during his re-election campaign stop in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire on Monday.
Trump turned to the gridiron when criticizing potential 2024 election opponent and current President Joe Biden's negotiating with China. The former owner of the original United States Football League's New Jersey Generals facetiously compared a meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to a respective showdown between his high school's team and a "good" NFL team.”
Known for holding a relationship with Belichick (and previously Tom Brady), Trump said he would normally place the Patriots in that slot but it wouldn't make sense in the light of recent happenings.
"I'd love to say the Patriots. (Belichick's) a great guy, great coach," Trump said, much to the humored discomfort of the crowd, in video from WBTS. "But they're having a bit of a hard time. What's going on with the Patriots, huh?"
Belichick (L) poses with President Trump during the Patriots' visit to the White House in 2019
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Even the quickest look at Sunday's box score would hint at the Patriots' demise: New England (1-4) is off to its worst start since Belichick's debut year in 2000 after putting up only 156 yards and losing three turnovers in defeat. Some believe that Belichick might be on the hot seat but Trump has a little more faith in his friend.
"He is, he's a great coach. He'll figure it out somehow," Trump said. “He's going to figure it out, But that was not a good game last night, was it?"
In the Patriots' place, Trump went with the Philadelphia Eagles, who have reached two of the last six Super Bowls, including a victorious trek to the 52nd edition against New England after the 2017 season. Philadelphia (5-0) opened this season with a win over the Patriots and hosts one of the two undefeated teams left on the current league ledgers, the other residing in San Francisco.
Belichick has had a long-standing relationship with Trump and his political endeavors.
The Patriots boss penned a letter endorsing his candidacy during the 2016 election en route to Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton. Shortly before he left office after his defeat to Biden in 2020, Trump announced plans to award Belichick the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a prestigious civilian honor to those who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." Belichick was honored but declined the award in the wake of Trump supporters' swarming the United States Capitol Building shortly before the election vote was ratified in 2021.
New England returns to action on Sunday afternoon. They'll face the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, three miles away from the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS).
