Earlier this month, Patrick Mahomes’ wife Brittany liked a social media post by former President Donald Trump that included the Republican Party’s platform for the upcoming 2024 elections.
On Tuesday, Travis Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift posted a message on Instagram expressing her support for Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
In the NFL, where teams are desperately looking for any sign, any crack that could derail the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, you could almost hear the wistful, wishful thinking.
Maybe, just maybe, the political opinions of the Chiefs’ two most important players could somehow lead to some discord in the locker room. Maybe, just maybe, some icy interactions in the luxury suites could filter down to the team.
Yeah, probably not.
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On Wednesday, Patrick Mahomes not only dispels the idea of discord but offers exactly the kind of positive and inclusive response to a potentially heated political issue that befits a leader focused on the job at hand.
In short, Patrick Mahomes never publicly supports anyone, but he also doesn’t really care what others do.
“I’ve always said I don’t want my space and my platform to be used to support any candidate, no matter what,” Mahomes said. “I think my place is to get people to register [to vote]do their research and make the best decision for them and their family. Every time I get these questions, I will refer to this because I think that’s what makes America great.”
Everyone has the right to express their political opinions, but Mahomes seems well aware that this will come with some kind of backlash. Some people will like you more and some people will like you less. Others will wonder why they are hearing this from you.
Mahomes likely has his own personal preferences, but when it comes to leading a football team and his role as a citizen and businessman in society, he says he’d rather work with anyone.
The QB was even asked if the fact that he and Brittany hung out with Kelce and Swift last weekend at the US Open tennis tournament in New York was a good image to project to the country about not letting political leanings influence friendships.
“If you look at my history, I’ve been around people from all walks of life and all backgrounds since I was a little kid,” Mahomes said.
A football team is an extraordinarily diverse group. There are people of all races, ethnicities, social classes, religious beliefs, and geographic backgrounds. Nothing will unite everyone… except maybe trying to win a third consecutive Super Bowl.
“I think the best thing about a football locker room, and kind of like I grew up in baseball locker rooms, is people can come together and have a common goal,” said Mahomes, whose father, Pat Sr., was a longtime MLB player. “I think if we can do that as a nation, we can bring out the best in each other. I think that’s something I do every day.
“When I’m around people, I don’t think about political views,” he continued. “I think about how they treat people. And I was around a lot of great people this weekend.”
In fact, he is like many — perhaps most — Americans. Politics need not be an obsession.
Brittany Mahomes has yet to officially endorse Trump. She has pushed back against those who criticized her for liking a post from the GOP platform — “You can disagree with someone and still love them. You can have different opinions and still be kind,” she wrote in an Instagram Story — but that’s it for now. She’s been thrown in the middle anyway.
Trump has said Brittany is a “big fan” of his, and during an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, when asked about Swift’s support for Harris, he didn’t respond with his endorsement of any other singer or entertainer. He did mention his favorite significant other in the Chiefs.
“Well, I actually like Ms. Mahomes a lot better, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said.
Patrick Mahomes is known for being slow to get upset on the field and on Wednesday he let it all roll off his back.
“At the end of the day, it’s about me and my family and how we treat other people,” Mahomes said. “I think you see [that] Brittany does a lot in the community, I do a lot in the community to help educate people and give people other opportunities to have their voices heard.
“In these political times, people use stuff here and there, but I can’t allow that to affect the way I go about my daily business and how I live my life and try to live it the best I can,” he continued.
Sadly, it appears that politics will not divide the Chiefs.
Perhaps the rest of America will follow suit.
