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President Donald Trump gushed about New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in an interview Saturday, as the second-year player faced animosity over his appearance at an event.
Trump appeared on “My View with Lara Trump” and was asked about the backlash Dart received when she introduced the president at an event in New York.
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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and President Donald Trump attend an event inside Eugene Levy Fieldhouse at Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY on May 22, 2026. Trump spoke about his economic achievements in the congressional district represented by Rep. Mike Lawler, who is running for re-election in the November midterm elections. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
“First of all, I wish I looked like Jaxson,” Trump said. “I said, 'Is he a male model?' He's a handsome boy, like a beautiful boy, a conservative boy. He said, 'I love you, sir.' I didn't know I was doing it. He's potentially a great quarterback. He is a young boy. He really started as a starter, but when he is in a game, he moves the team.
“I didn't know him, but I watched him a little bit, but he really drives the team. He has tremendous potential. If he stays healthy, he'll be great.”
Trump sent a reminder about his 2024 presidential election victory over Kamala Harris.
He said he won the popular vote and received a lot of support from counties across the United States.
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President Donald Trump shakes hands with New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as he arrives to speak at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)
“So when Jaxson gets bullied a little bit, they also love him more because we have more people than them,” Trump said.
Dart faced criticism, including from teammate Abdul Carter, for introducing Trump at the event in Suffern.
“Some things are more important than football, and this is one of them,” Carter told reporters Friday. “Jaxson is one of our leaders. He is the face of our franchise. He not only represents himself and what he does, he represents all of us, and that goes for anyone who wears a Giants uniform.
“But if you decide to align yourself with a man like President Trump, it's my responsibility, based on what I believe or what I stand for, to not only show my teammates that I'm against that, but to show it to the world.”
Dart explained that his upbringing made him feel that meeting the president was the right choice.
“This was a unique opportunity, you know, to be asked and given the opportunity to introduce the president of the United States,” Dart said. “My thinking was pretty simple in the fact that I have always loved this country. I have family members who have fought wars. I have two uncles who retired from the Air Force Academy and served themselves. And I even have a great-grandfather who served as Secretary of the Treasury at one point.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart throws a pass in the fourth quarter as the Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 in East Rutherford on January 4, 2026. (Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“So the position of president has always been a position that I have greatly respected, regardless of my political affiliation, regardless of political party, and, you know, my intentions were precisely that.”
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The 2026 season, truly, cannot come soon enough.
Armando Salguero of Fox News contributed to this report.
