Now a Patriot following a trade from the Eagles for draft picks, outspoken defensive star Michael Bennett said he does not plan to keep his mouth shut while playing for New England.
Bennett, the author of Things That Make White People Uncomfortable, said during a talk at Princeton University that he is planning to speak to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady about their connections to Donald Trump.
“I think it’s important not to to run away from those conversations, or not hear their ideas about why they think the way they do,” he said. “I think it’s an opportunity for growth to have those conversations. If we don’t allow ourselves to have those conversations, we’re stunting our growth. Those conversations will present themselves. I think it’s going to be really unique.”
Bennett also said he plans to remain in the locker room during the national anthem this season and has already informed the Patriots about that decision. “I explained to them is that my integrity mean everything,” he said. “I think they respect that about me, they respect who I am as an individual.”
Belichick wrote a letter supporting Trump’s presidential candidacy and was appointed to the government’s “Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition” under Trump.
Brady’s relationship with the President is a bit more complicated, but the 41-year-old quarterback has called him a friend while also backing away from supporting him politically.
New England owner Robert Kraft has repeatedly played golf with Trump in the past, gave him a Super Bowl ring after the Patriots beat the Falcons in 2017, and both have connections to the spa massage chain where Kraft was recently busted for solicitation.
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