Robert Kraft isn’t hiding, downplaying or shying away from his friendship with Donald Trump. That was abundantly clear during the New England Patriots’ White House visit, when Kraft used his turn at the microphone to shower the 45th president with praise.
Kraft’s ties to Trump have put the Patriots owner squarely in the crosshairs of critics who can’t comprehend how he can continue to support a leader who is so reviled by much of the U.S. population.
Included in that group is Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham, who over the weekend penned a lengthy piece chastising Kraft for his chummy relationship with the president.
Though the column was opinion-based– as most columns are — it did include a few revealing quotes from Kraft’s son, Josh, who sought to explain his father’s friendship with Trump.
“It’s pretty simple,” Josh Kraft said. “They’ve been friends for years. The worst time in my dad’s life, this guy was there for him.”
He added: “Friendship trumps politics, for lack of a better term. You might not agree with what your friend believes, but why let that ruin a friendship? … “Maybe even, when the time is right, he can share some of his insights with (Trump).”
Josh Kraft was referring to the period following the 2011 death of Myra Kraft, Robert Kraft’s wife of nearly 50 years. Trump aided Robert Kraft through that trying time, frequently visiting and calling his longtime friend to offer support and comfort.
That support, Josh Kraft said, is the reason his father has not distanced himself from the most controversial president in modern history.
“It’s a distinct honor,” Robert Kraft said during the Patriots’ White House ceremony, “for us to celebrate what was unequivocally our sweetest championship with a very good friend and somebody whose mental toughness and strength I greatly admire.”
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
