Donald Trump has praised New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as “very handsome” while claiming his jersey became the NFL’s top seller after a rally. The president made the comments during a White House speech on Wednesday, while discussing Dart’s support for him at a rally earlier this year.
A season-ending knee injury sidelined Dart after the Giants’ 28-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. His MCL, PCL and meniscus were all damaged, while his ACL stayed intact.
Trump recalls the rally
Trump recounted how Dart introduced him at a rally, and he said the quarterback faced significant backlash for his political support.
“He’s a little hurt right now. Good quarterback, but he endorsed Trump so heavily and he took a little heat from a rather liberal group of people in the NFL,” Trump said.
He next addressed Dart’s look, asserting that jersey sales had soared after the rally.
“So, Jaxson Dart, who’s a great, talented, very handsome guy. And he loved Trump. He wanted to introduce me at a big rally – I had a big rally; thousands of people – he got up and he said nice things. He took a lot of heat. And then the next day, his jersey was the No. 1 selling jersey in the NFL. Isn’t that great?”
“And then the next day, his jersey was the No. 1 selling jersey in the NFL.”
The jersey claim
No proof backs up the claim that Trump’s claim that Dart’s jersey rose to the top of the NFL’s sales list. The single number cited came from NFL Drop, a source that calls itself a satire account.
An account that identifies itself as satirical is not a credible source for jersey sales data, so any figures it posts should be treated as jokes rather than facts. NFL Drop falls into that category. Trump’s boast rests entirely on that account, which makes the claim a peculiar detail in an already odd story.
Trump wishes Dart well
During his wish for Dart’s recovery, Trump also offered him good health, saying: “I just want him to get better because we love him. He got hurt. It’s a dangerous game.”
The young quarterback’s regular season is over because of his injury, and the Giants are now playing out the rest of the campaign without him.
The locker room fallout
The fallout from Dart’s political situation has spilled over into the Giants’ locker room, where Abdul Carter later said the two had settled their disagreements and remained close teammates.
Dart’s recovery timeline
The quarterback’s knee injury occurred during a 28-6 defeat against the Rams, with the Giants losing that game. He hurt his MCL, PCL and meniscus, while his ACL stayed undamaged. Recovery is still underway, with the emphasis on regaining full health.
The pattern of praise
The president has continued to speak well of the injured quarterback since his injury, including remarks at the White House that mixed personal encouragement with an assertion about the NFL that appears dubious.
Trump’s public defense of Dart appears to reflect his perception of her as a loyal supporter worth protecting. How fans react to that will probably come down to how they feel about the president himself.
The bigger picture
Dart’s injury has already reshaped the Giants’ season. Losing their young quarterback for the remainder of the year is a significant blow to the team.
The remarks from Trump add a layer of spectacle to an already difficult situation. A player who has been sidelined by a season-ending injury may find the attention burdensome even when it is meant kindly.
The verdict on the jersey claim
Trump’s boast that Dart’s jersey became the NFL’s top seller after a rally is unverifiable and rests on a satirical account. That makes it a peculiar detail in an already odd story.
The claim adds nothing to the actual state of Dart’s recovery or the Giants’ season. It simply puts a spotlight on a quarterback who is still healing.
At present, the most that can be stated with certainty is that Trump holds Dart in high regard. Whether that opinion translates into jersey sales is a matter that cannot be answered with any certainty.
Trump pointed to a satirical account as proof, and the entire issue stems from the fact that the account is itself a joke.
Source material: “‘Handsome’ Jaxson Dart gets bizarre Donald Trump praise as president makes bold claim,” Yahoo Sports.
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