Giants' Jaxson Dart, Abdul Carter clear air over QB introducing Trump at rally
Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter engaged in a lengthy embrace in between their media availability after Giants practice Friday. They also shared friendly words when Dart left the podium and Carter approached it.
A year after the two were drafted together, they addressed the latest thing that binds them: Dart’s introduction of President Donald Trump at a rally on May 22 and Carter’s response on Twitter the next day ( “Thought this [expletive] was AI, what we doing man.”)
Dart gave a nearly five-minute opening statement explaining why he was at the rally, citing his love of country and having members of the military in his family.
“The president position has always been a position that I’ve well respected regardless of political affiliation, regardless of political party,” he said. “And my intentions were just that.”
Dart didn’t mention the president by name nor his own opinion of Trump. He declined to say whether he made a mistake by being at the rally.
The second-year quarterback did acknowledge the need for honest conversations with his teammates after his appearance. That included a phone call with Carter in which they ironed things out.
Carter didn’t back down from disagreeing with Dart, but the linebacker remained committed to building on their partnership and focusing on their common goal to help the Giants win games.
“If he chooses to align himself with a man like President Trump, it’s my responsibility based on what I believe and what I stand on to not only show my teammates that I’m against that but to show the world,” Carter said. “That doesn’t mean that we have to spread hate. It doesn’t mean that me and Jaxson hate each other or we have beef.
“I sit next to Jaxson every day, every team meeting. We’re close. We talk. As long as we make sure we’ve got the same goal as a team and our goals align, which they do, I feel like that’s all that matters.”
Dart didn’t elaborate on the team meeting Wednesday in which things were further discussed. Carter wasn’t present because he was observing the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha but said he’s had one-on-one conversations with teammates.
“When things like this happen, it’s an opportunity for us to come together, to talk about it, learn more about each other and just move forward from it,” Carter said.
Dart reiterated that being a connector is important to him and said he loves his teammates regardless of any differences of opinion.
“They know exactly what kind of person that I am who comes into the facility every day. I lay my body on the line for my guys each and every week,” he said. “It’s from the connections that we’ve built, the love that we have for each other, and I’ve been somebody who’s always respected the different perspectives that people may have, the backgrounds that they come from.’’
The moment represented a test for coach John Harbaugh five months after he was hired. He knew in advance that Dart would shake hands with Trump, and he applauded his players’ decision to take the lead in deciding how things would be handled during their team meeting. He didn’t speak to Dart or Carter immediately but talked to them after things settled down.
Harbaugh emphasized that confronting issues without dictating how things will go is how he wants to handle things. This situation, he said, made the Giants better going forward.
“If I was going to sum it up in any kind of way, it’s that we have respect for one another in all things we do,” he said. “And they do because that’s the way a football team is. You have to respect one another. It’s a hard sport to play and they already come in with mutual respect for each other.
“So respect everything about a person’s situation, including their opinion, and then keep about the main thing, which is our mission.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston agreed. He praised Dart and Carter for speaking with each other and how they handled the moment. For him, it’s a reflection of what togetherness looks like and how uncomfortable conversations can lead to healing.
“I think this is an excellent opportunity for those two young men to realize what they represent, the platform that they have, and how they’re going to go about navigating that and standing on what they both believe in,” Winston said.
Dart said his goal was to make sure his teammates know he still has their backs. Even if they disagreed on their support of the president, he and Carter supported each other, as evidenced by their tight-knit hug Friday.
“He’s my brother. I know that I’m a brother to him,’’ Dart said. “At the end of the day, we want to be the best people and players for each other.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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