New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers chose not to acknowledge former President Donald Trump as he walked by during UFC 302 on Saturday night. Trump, who was recently convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records, received a warm reception from the crowd, with many fans standing up and chanting “USA, USA!” as he entered the arena with UFC boss Dana White.
Trump smiled in the direction of Rodgers and his ex-teammate
Rodgers, who was seated with former Packers teammate Marcedes Lewis, kept a straight face and avoided eye contact with Trump as he walked by. The interaction comes after Rodgers revealed he had considered becoming Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, suggesting that he chose to continue his football career over pursuing politics.
“I love Bobby. We had a couple of really nice conversations,” Rodgers told reporters. “But there were really two options: retire and be his VP or keep playing. And I wanted to keep playing.”
Rodgers and Kennedy Jr. have developed a relationship in recent years, both expressing skepticism about vaccines. The quarterback’s focus remains on the Jets, as he feels he has unfinished business after missing most of the 2024 season due to an Achilles tear.
Chants of ‘USA, USA!’ broke out after Trump’s entrance
Trump, meanwhile, received a massive ovation at the Prudential Center following the conclusion of his hush money trial. Chants of “we want Trump” and explicit chants against President Joe Biden were heard throughout the crowd. The jury in Trump’s trial found him guilty of illegally influencing the 2016 election by hiding a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a consensual sexual encounter with Trump a decade prior. Trump has denied the encounter.
Trump was convicted of multiple counts of falsifying business records
Each count carries a possible maximum sentence of up to four years in prison. However, a custodial sentence is unlikely, and Trump will be sentenced on July 11.
