Tom Brady says relationship with Donald Trump was 'mischaracterized' by media
Tom Brady believes the media "mischaracterized a lot" when it came to his relationship with former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with Variety, Brady spoke about retirement – and his about-face on his initial decision earlier this year to step away before opting to play another season – his $375 million deal with Fox Sports, his production company and briefly on his relationship with the former president of the United States.
"I think they just mischaracterized a lot," Brady said of the press when Variety's Ramin Setoodeh commented that it seemed Brady and Trump were close.
"And my personality isn’t ever one to insult anybody," Brady continued.
"I have plenty of my own flaws. I’m not here to point out anyone else’s flaws. There are things that I agree with. There are things that I don’t. There are things I agree with my wife about. There are things that I don’t. I love her to death, but we don’t always see eye to eye. I don’t see eye to eye with anyone. And I’m not responsible for what other people say. I’m really responsible for what I say. So if people want to say things that I said or that I’m about, that’s up to them, and I’m not going to respond to all those things all the time either."
Their relationship came into question after a photo showed a "Make America Great Again" (Trump's campaign slogan) hat inside Brady's locker in 2015. Brady shared in 2015 that Trump, whom he also called a "great friend" at the time, sent it to him via Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
“I’ve know him since 2002 when I judged one of his beauty pageant," Brady said, according to Boston.com. "I’ve known him for a long time and he always gives me a call on different types of motivational speeches at different times. Now that he’s running for president he sent me a hat and he gave it to (Kraft) a couple of weeks ago, so it found its way to my locker.’’
Beyond judging a pageant within the Miss Universe Organization – formerly co-owned by Trump – the two golfed together on several occasions.
"This was 17 or 18 years ago," Brady told Variety. "I was so young. I got to go to a private golf course. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world."
When asked if he and Trump are still in touch, the Buccaneers quarterback said no.
"I haven't talked to him in a lot of years."
Contact Analis Bailey at aabailey@usatoday.com or on Twitter @analisbailey.