San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa sent a direct message during Sunday Night Football as the US presidential election approaches. With Americans set to vote in just over a week, the defensive lineman made his choice for president unmistakable.
The 27-year-old interrupted teammates Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Isaac Guerendo's post-game interview live on NBC to show his support for Donald Trump. Bosa jumped into the interview, leaning between quarterback Purdy and reporter Melissa Stark, flaunting his cap with the infamous slogan of the Republican candidate, "Make America Great Again." He kept pointing at the cap until Stark laughed at the interruption, saying, "Alright, Nick Bosa with a message there."
Straightaway Endorsing Trump
The Fort Lauderdale native's teammates appeared a bit embarrassed as they stifled their laughter at his antics. Bosa has consistently shown his support for the former president, having tweeted pro-Trump messages prior to being selected second overall by the 49ers in 2019.
The pass rusher was the 49ers' second overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, which upset some of the team's more liberal supporters in the Bay Area, home to Trump's opponent, Kamala Harris.
Many 49ers fans reacted with fury over the decision to draft Bosa, given his reputation as a Trump supporter and his history of posting 'insensitive' content on social media.
In addition to backing Trump's presidency, Bosa had a track record of making negative comments about prominent Black figures in pop culture and entertainment — remarks that his agent later removed from his online profiles as his draft prospects soared in 2019.
Among the tweets that were deleted were insults directed at activist and former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, calling him a "clown," as well as comments about NBA star Dwyane Wade, saying he "looks like a parrot fish," and labeling "Black Panther" as the "worst Marvel movie."
His Negative Comments
In 2016, Bosa also tweeted that "Beyoncé's music is complete trash," just six days after she released her politically charged album Lemonade, which included the song Formation. Earlier that year, Beyoncé had faced backlash for wearing a Black Panther-inspired outfit and performing Formation during the Super Bowl halftime show.
Over the years, Bosa has been open about his support for Trump, tweeting phrases like "Love this man" while sharing a video of Trump's weekly address and posting a photo of himself giving a thumbs up next to a cardboard cutout of Trump.
Bosa, hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was also quoted claiming that he is a "big fan" of Trump, saying, "He brings a charisma that no other candidate has [had] in my lifetime,' according to SF Gate.
Since being drafted in 2019, he has moderated his political expressions compared to before his selection.
Earlier this year, he had the chance to meet the former president in person when he and fellow NFL star Joe Burrow greeted Trump at a UFC event. The three chatted briefly ringside before taking a photo, which was shared on the account of Trump advisor Dan Scavino Jr.