Team Trump Rushing Yards to the White House – Pro Athletes that Played the 2024 Presidential Elections
Whether arguing with family members on who’s going to win the 2024 presidential race, taking part in a friendly office pool on which battleground states will turn red or blue, or placing real-money wagers on Donald Trump or Kamala Harris moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January – the U.S. presidential elections became a worldwide phenomenon, drawing more spectators and attention than any major sporting event around the world.
We’re unsure if it was caused by fear of being left out of the spotlight, but be it celebrating Trump’s victory or agonizing over Harris’s defeat, many pro athletes chose to ignore the “keep politics out of sports” saying and pick a team.
And so, the 2024 presidential race saw more sports stars getting involved in the political battle than ever before. From endorsing candidates formally, appearing on the campaign trail, or simply wearing branded merch, athletes from across the major leagues used their fame and influence to sway fans to vote for their preferred candidate.
So, What Happened in the 2024 Presidential Election?
Although Team Trump clinched the championship title in what appears to be a landslide victory, it’s still hard to tell how big a splash these athlete endorsements made on the election results.
Still, sports stars are influential figures in American life, so it’s likely these political actions had some kind of impact. Let’s take a look at some of the athletes who jumped into the political sphere ahead of the 2024 US Election.
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Which Athletes Supported the Democrats?
Ahead of the 2024 presidential race, the Democrats focused on winning over young male voters that many experts predicted would sway toward Trump. This is why the Harris-Walz campaign took an organized approach to sports celebrity endorsements.
The Athletes for Harris group launched at the end of September and featured more than 75 athletes providing endorsement for Harris. A statement on the launch read:
“Athletes are among the most trusted voices for key voting blocs, especially young men, making them uniquely qualified campaigners for Vice President Harris and Governor (Tim) Walz’s campaign. Sporting events and games are also key moments that draw in large and politically diverse audiences, audiences that are increasing their reach with Gen Z and younger men.”
Ten co-chairs led the group from across the sporting world:
- Steve Kerr – Golden State Warriors Head Coach and 5-time NBA Champion as a player
- Magic Johnson – NBA Hall of Famer
- Billie Jean King – 12-time Grand Slam champion
- Chris Paul – 12-time NBA All-Star
- Doc Rivers – Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach
- Ali Krieger – two-time Women’s World Cup champion
- Candace Parker – three-time WNBA champion
- Dawn Staley – South Carolina Head Coach
- Ali Truwit – two-time Paralympic silver medalist
- Thomas Booker – Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Tackle
Many of these co-chairs played essential roles in the Harris campaign trail, with Steve Kerr appearing to speak at the Democratic National Convention and passing on a video message from two-time MVP and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
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Meanwhile, Washington Commanders minority owner and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson appeared on the campaign trail and in commercials for Harris, with one comparing the two candidates like two opposing sports teams. He also released a statement declaring his support for Harris:
“I have known Vice President Harris for over 25 years, and you can count on her to deliver on what she says she is going to do. She’ll be a President for all people, no matter the race, language, sexual orientation, or party line. She showed all of us — and showed the world — that she was ready to be President, how smart she is, and her plan for the country in that debate. We are not going backwards; we are moving forward. For all of the athletes out there, don’t be afraid to use your platforms — we need all of you to get involved. Share this with your friends that Vice President Harris has an agenda that will move the country forward. The Magic Man is on board.”
Another star from the NBA, four-time NBA Champion, four-time MVP, and current DraftKings representative LeBron James, also supported Harris days before the election. He shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) of previous comments from Trump and his campaign, captioning it,
“What are we even talking about here?? When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. VOTE KAMALA HARRIS!!!”
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James has previously gotten involved in politics, with his More than a Vote initiative launched in 2020 following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
While the organization was initially launched to campaign for African-American voting rights and criminal justice reform, it shifted focus in the 2024 election cycle under the new leadership of WNBA nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike.
Ogwumike has shifted the initiative’s focus to women’s reproductive rights, an issue right at the heart of the 2024 election, the first since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. While neither Ogwumike nor More than a Vote explicitly endorsed Harris, the organization shared many of the same views as the Vice President.
However, plenty of WNBA players have shown support for Harris, with Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Kennedy Burke, and Courtney Vandersloot wearing t-shirts with photos of Kamala Harris and the word “Pres” in the pregame tunnel before a game against the Seattle Storm. The three WNBA athletes all play for the New York Liberty.
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Which Athletes Supported the Republicans?
Trump’s approach to athlete endorsements was not as organized as Harris’, but there was still plenty of support for the GOP candidate.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was a regular on the Trump campaign trail, ripping his shirt off after a speech at the Republican National Convention and speaking at a significant rally at Madison Square Garden just a week before the election.
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Meanwhile, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker came out in support of Trump in early October during an interview with Fox News, commenting, “I’m supporting the president that’s going to be the most pro-life, and I think Donald Trump is the most pro-life president.”
Another NFL star, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, wore a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat during a postgame interview on Sunday Night Football following the 49ers win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Following Trump’s election victory and asked about the potential of facing fines for exposing his political position, Bosa said, “Well, I don’t think my position on speaking about it is going to change. Clearly, the nation spoke, and we got what we got.”
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Another champion of Donald Trump’s reelection bid was professional golfer and famously bad gambler John “Wild Thing” Daly. The winner of the The Open Championship in 1995 claimed in a December interview with Tucker Carlson in December 2023, “All of us on the [professional golf] tours want Daddy Trump back.”
Another professional golfer, 2024 US Open winner Bryson Dechambeau, has previously noted his gratitude for his friendship with Trump and was called onto the stage during Trump’s victory speech wearing a MAGA hat.
Sports Personalities That Played a Role
While Joe Rogan has never been a professional athlete, the influencer and podcaster is well-known among sports fans as a commentator on UFC events. Through his popular podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan gave Donald Trump a platform during the campaign trail and claimed he was open to Harris appearing on the show.
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Meanwhile, following an interview with billionaire Elon Musk, who strongly supported Trump during his campaign, Rogan announced on his X (formerly Twitter) platform that he was endorsing Trump. He said,
“The great and powerful @elonmusk. If it wasn’t for him we’d be fucked. He makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way. For the record, yes, that’s an endorsement of Trump. Enjoy the podcast.”
Meanwhile, another influential sports personality linked to the UFC, President and CEO of UFC Dana White, also backed Trump. White introduced Trump at the Republican National Convention in July and has promoted the president-elect countless times since 2016.
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White and Trump have a long history dating back to the establishment of the UFC. In the early 2000s, Trump allowed UFC events to take place at Trump properties when many other businesses and politicians shunned the sport. The pair are so close that White spoke during Trump’s victory celebration.
How Major League Sports Got Involved in the Election
Most professional sports leagues in the US seemed to get involved ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The NFL launched its NFL Votes initiative in August, a nonpartisan initiative designed to encourage people to exercise their right to vote through commercials broadcast on NFL games and other channels of the public awareness campaign. The initiative aimed to increase participation in voter registration and activation.
NFL commercials encouraging voting included former and current NFL stars like the Washington Commanders’ Austin Ekeler, the Carolina Panthers’ Adam Thielen, and former Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth.
Additionally, the league posted on its official social media channels the day before the election, encouraging people to get out and vote.
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The NBA and WNBA supported a similar initiative called “Get in the Game. Vote.” The leagues released videos providing voters with information on what voting options were available and the importance of getting involved, involving NBA players like Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, and Chris Paul.
While the NHL didn’t support an election-promoting program, many individual teams decided to encourage fans to vote through social media. Most MLB teams and the league refrained from commenting on the election.
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