Two Pittsburgh Steelers legends have announced their support for Kamala Harris in next month’s presidential election, following Donald Trump’s performance in the team’s victory over the New York Jets.
The Republican presidential candidate attended Sunday night’s NFL game as the guest of an unidentified suite holder at Acrisure Stadium.
Trump arrived about halfway through the first quarter and was greeted by a small crowd of supporters wearing Pittsburgh jerseys with a banner that read “Trump Nation.”
Later, he waved from the suite as some fans sang “USA.”
A female fan in black and gold – the colors of the Steelers – jumped onto the field in the third quarter with a pro-Trump sign, briefly disrupting the game. She was quickly escorted from the field by authorities.
Donald Trump made an appearance at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the New York Jets
Jerome Bettis (left) and ‘Mean’ Joe Greene (right) have both endorsed Kamala Harris
However, franchise legends Jerome Bettis and “Mean” Joe Greene have both since released statements endorsing Trump’s rival for the presidency, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“I know this city and I love this city – we are working hard to make things happen,” Bettis said in a video message on his Threads account.
‘No hot air. No bull. This is what defines the Steel City – and it’s the opposite of what Donald Trump stands for. Donald Trump has made promise after promise to the city of Pittsburgh, and time and time again he has failed to deliver.
“And it’s time for us to elect a leader who will fight for us. Someone who rolls up their sleeves and gets the job done. Don’t just complain in a half-empty room. There is only one person in this race who fits that bill: Vice President Kamala Harris.”
In a video on the Kamala for PA account on X, Green added, “You definitely got my vote.”
The former president’s visit to the game capped a dizzying weekend in crucial Pennsylvania for Trump’s campaign, with the election just over two weeks away.
Trump is a New Yorker and a personal friend of Jets owner Woody Johnson, who briefly served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Trump administration.
The Steelers have been owned by the Rooney family for more than 90 years and the late President/Chairman Dan Rooney served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from July 2009 to December 2012 during Barack Obama’s presidency.
On Sunday, the Steelers distanced themselves from taking any sides on Trump’s presence, with club spokesman Burt Lauten noting that Trump was the guest of a suite owner and not the team.
The Republican presidential candidate attended as a guest of an unknown suite holder
Ex-Steelers star Le’Veon Bell was criticized for wearing a shirt with a mean insult from Kamala Harris
Trump received support from a number of former Steelers. Wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell — both of whom have complicated relationships with their former teams and were viewed as villains during their respective departures in the spring of 2019 — have endorsed Trump.
The former teammates met with Trump poll watchers at an event near the stadium on Sunday afternoon and greeted Trump as his plane landed at Pittsburgh International Airport around the opening kickoff.
The decision to join Brown and Bell was a curious one for Trump.
Bell has since come under fire for wearing a T-shirt with a mean message about Harris over the weekend.
The top featured a photo of Donald raising his fist in the air, next to an unflattering photo of Kamala with the message: “Trump or the Tramp?”
Bell was mired in a contract dispute throughout the 2018 season before signing with the Jets in 2019. He failed to replicate the production that made him a Pro Bowler in Pittsburgh and has been out of the league for three years, turning to celebrity boxing.
Brown, a star during his nine seasons in Pittsburgh from 2010 to 2018, forced a trade to Las Vegas in the spring of 2019 after a series of public missteps, including famously choosing not to appear for the team’s 2018 season finale.