Tipsheet

The Trump-Jaxson Dart Story Was Already Dead, but the Giants Made Sure to Kill It Again

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  May 29, 2026 10:00 PM

This story died days ago. It was quashed, but the organization decided to dig it up again, kill it, and now it’s burned to ash. New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart addressed his brief introduction of President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Suffern, New York, last weekend. It caused a stir among the usual people, and later, linebacker Abdul Carter weighed in, and he wasn’t too pleased. It sparked a wild social media circus that quickly died down because we all have lives and better things to do.

By Monday, only the sports media and podcasters were talking about it, chiming in days late on a story that wasn’t a big deal. Still, with all the key players together, the organization did a good job gathering everyone one last time and truly putting an end to this non-issue. The Giants are lucky to have a seasoned coach in John Harbaugh who can handle the locker room, manage personalities, and diffuse tension, which they successfully did. Ben McAdoo or Brian Daboll couldn’t have managed this better. 

Dart didn’t apologize, nor should he, but clarified why he introduced the president while also addressing the nuances, pitfalls, and responsibilities of being the face of the franchise. Folks, Dart is not and never will be like ‘boring’ Eli Manning, so we must get used to it. The stuff Eli eschewed is embraced by Dart regarding social media activity; it’s his brand. On Carter’s part, he doesn’t want Jaxson to apologize, adding that the pair had a disagreement, they’re close, and they’re moving forward. Carter felt obligated to say something to show that not everyone in the locker room agreed, which I understand. There was also a better way to convey that, but what’s done is done. 

Harbaugh essentially framed it as a team-building moment:

This was never a locker room issue. It was never going to be a thing—only those pushing that narrative seem to think so, and it never gained traction. It’s the same group that tried to cancel the US Men’s Hockey team. It failed badly. 

You can’t have a team full of choirboys. Also, not everyone agrees on everything. That’s part of life. When you break it down, it’s not even a serious story. Jaxson shared his side, Carter shared his, they cleared the air, and Jameis Winston gave one of his trademark speeches, which makes him a treasure. And there were some folks who threw a tantrum and wanted Winston to be the starting quarterback this season. What say you now? Is Jameis now a traitor since he didn’t go full TDS? 

Some people need to get a life and realize that Trump supporters are everywhere. Deal with it. It’s not some secret; the man won twice in the last three elections. 

I also know that some players on teams I root for are decidedly left-wing; I don’t care. I watch them/support them for other reasons, because I’m also not eight years old like some in this country. People will still be mad. That's their problem. Everyone, including the New York Giants, has moved on, but they decided to speak about it today to finally put it to rest.

Giants managed this situation well. It’s over. Done. Now it’s time to pray that no one else gets hurt—the Giants have already lost three players to injuries–and debate whether it's the turf that's to blame. 

LAST NOTE: As I said, no one thinks like this except the Trump-deranged. Also, what does this guy know about the locker room?! It's this nonsense that has the beat writers rolling, since they also knew this issue wasn't a big deal.