The NFL, like the country, is divided over the American presidential election. The league has already been on the political front lines all season, ever since 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick launched his protest against the National Anthem. But the election of Donald Trump has turned up the political heat all over the NFL — and no NFL figure is more prominent in the Trump discussions that Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Donald Trump read a letter from Belichick at a political rally the night before the election that saw him surge to victory. Belichick was adamant that reporters move on from the political and address the upcoming Patriots v. Seahawks matchup. But the issue — given the emotional divide, especially as it cuts across race — is unlikely to fade. Belichick said he is friends with Trump and John Kerry too, to cite two people with different political views. Belichick also said he writes lots of letters and wouldn’t say how he felt about Trump reading this one aloud to his supporters at such a critical moment. Belichick insisted he is “not a political person.”
