Bill Belichick made the right call, according to Tedy Bruschi.
Belichick on Monday released a statement explaining his decision to decline the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was offered to him by United States President Donald Trump before last week’s riots at the U.S. Capitol. The New England Patriots head coach since has been praised by some of his current and former players, including Bruschi.
“Proud to have played for this man,” Bruschi tweeted, while citing this excerpt from the statement Belichick released:
“Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy.”
Unsurprisingly, many have parsed Belichick’s words in an attempt to ascertain disingenuousness on the part of the 68-year-old, who has a relatively noteworthy relationship with Trump. He wrote the then-presidential candidate a letter before the 2016 election and, in December, along with many prominent sports figures, was named to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
Belichick never has publicly shared his views on Trump or the president’s politics. For what it’s worth, Belichick this season more than ever before has been vocal in his advocating for social justice and racial equality.
As for a possible response from Trump, there was not one as of Tuesday morning. The White House reportedly is aware of Belichick’s decision to decline the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a United States citizen.
Trump recently was banned from social media services such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Consequently, his avenues to publicly react to Belichick’s decision are limited.
