Donald Trump likes to mention his friendship with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and he got another opportunity to tout his pal while campaigning in New Hampshire the day after Brady’s arch rival Peyton Manning won Super Bowl 50.
The billionaire businessman called in to the popular Boston sports radio show Dennis and Callahan on station WEEI on Monday – where Brady is a regular guest Mondays after games – and spoke straight to the heart of New Hampshire voters when, discussing the Super Bowl, he said, “We needed our guy in there,” meaning Brady.
“That was just a boring game,” Trump said. “Am I the only one that thought that?”
“The whole thing, it had a bad vibe. Well, we need Tom. We’re a little prejudiced, so anyways, next year Tom will be in there.”
The Republican front-runner also commented on speculation around the depth of his relationship with the four-time Super Bowl champion, claiming Brady hasn’t endorsed him “because I told him not to.”
“He’s got sponsors, he’s got all of his different things that he has to do. And I told him not to,” Trump explained. “I said, ‘Tom, don’t do that.’ What he does is he says great stuff about me.”
Trump added, “I think he would do it if I asked him. I’ve never asked him to do that. But I think he’d do it if I asked him.”
Brady himself has been coy about his relationship with the real-estate mogul, insisting he doesn’t follow politics. But during the NFL season, an unmistakable “Make America Great Again” was spotted in his locker.
When asked about the hat and his friendship with Trump, Brady repeatedly demurred, asking, “Can I just stay out of this debate?” in a December interview on the same radio show, Dennis and Callahan.
“Donald is a good friend of mine. I have known him for a long time. I support all my friends. That is what I have to say,” he said at the time.
Pressed on the subject, Brady joked, “This is really important to you guys, huh?,” before moving on.
The latest CNN poll of polls shows Trump leading the field at 31%, 16 points ahead of his nearest rival, Marco Rubio, the day before the Granite State primary.