John Harbaugh Responds To Donald Trump’s Comments About Him At New York Giants Press Conference [VIDEO]
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
John Harbaugh is now speaking about President Donald Trump’s public push for him to coach the New York Giants during his introductory news conference Tuesday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Trump voiced his support a day after the Baltimore Ravens fired Harbaugh on January 6. He posted on Truth Social on January 7, urging the Giants to hire him. “Hire John Harbaugh, fast,” Trump wrote. “He, and his brother, are total winners!!! President DJT.”
A Fox News reporter asked Harbaugh how he felt about the message. Harbaugh smiled and welcomed the attention. “It feels really great,” he said. “I’ll tell you, I also noticed on that post that he said, ‘John, take the job.’ So I thought that John Mara might have something to do with that. I don’t know, but it’s cool.”
Harbaugh kept a light tone as he spoke about the hype around his hiring. “It’s sports and everybody’s excited,” he said. “Everybody follows it at every level. People follow football. They follow the Giants and they follow the National Football League. Like we said, it’s the biggest sport and this is the most iconic franchise, so here we are.”
Harbaugh’s Familiar Political Tie
Harbaugh has supported Trump for years. He and his brother Jim visited Trump in July. Jim is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was also there.
The group stood with Trump behind his desk in the Oval Office. They did not explain why they were visiting.
The Baltimore Banner also reported on past comments from Harbaugh. In 2015, before Trump’s first term, Harbaugh spoke about immigration and border policy. “I’m going Trump here,” Harbaugh said, according to the Banner.“Build the wall. If you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. You’re not a country without a border, right?” He also spoke about helping long-time residents. “Give them a shot. Give them a chance to become a citizen, so they’re paying taxes.”
Politics aside, Harbaugh arrives in New York with a proven track record. He spent 18 seasons coaching the Ravens. He went 180-113, made the playoffs 12 times, and won a Super Bowl.
Baltimore finished 8-9 this season and missed the playoffs after losing to the Steelers in the final week. That loss cost them the AFC North title.
Interest around the league followed quickly. Harbaugh became the biggest name available. The Giants acted fast and handed him the job, trusting him to lead the franchise forward.
Harbaugh welcomed the opportunity. He thanked fans for the support and said he feels ready for the next chapter of his career.
