- Mahomes did not endorse a candidate when asked about the upcoming election
- Whitlock praised Mahomes, believing his political views were not sincere
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Conservative sports commentator Jason Whitlock presented Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes with kudos after he opted to support neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
Whitlock believes Mahomes “got tired of living the lie” after speaking out during the aftermath of the “George Floyd thing.”
Mahomes declined to endorse either candidate during an interview with Time Magazine that focused on his future, leading to Whitlock’s praise.
Sports and politics have never been more closely intertwined, with many of those paths tracing back to the feud between Trump, when he was in power, and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Trump called Kaepernick and those kneeling for the Star-Spangled Banner a “son of ab****” in 2016.
Mahomes has entered the political sphere before, but chose not to do so during his conversation with Time
Whitlock likes this version of Mahomes after not endorsing a candidate for president
“Patrick Mahomes has changed a little bit because I think for a while he was trying to wake up, the George Floyd thing, he got caught up in that, and the Colin Kaepernick thing. But he has now been sent to a more authentic place,” Whitlock said. ‘My name is in it, I’m not in it, I’m doing well. I like this, Patrick Mahomes.”
“There are athletes like Mahomes who are tested to live the lie and believe one thing but know I have to say something else,” Whitlock continued.
Mahomes was asked by Time about the presidential election after he supported LeBron James’ 2020 “More Than a Vote” campaign to help drive African American turnout in that year’s presidential election.
“I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain president,” Mahomes told Time. ‘I want people to make their voices heard, no matter who they believe in. I want them to do the investigation.”
The Chiefs did not attend a celebration at the White House while Trump was in office after winning the 2020 Super Bowl due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kansas City visited the White House with Biden now commander in chief after winning last year’s Super Bowl. Biden will host the Chiefs for another title celebration later this year.