Aaron Rodgers Under Fire After Ignoring Trump During...
Former President Donald Trump made a grand entrance at UFC 302 on Saturday, while New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemed indifferent to the commotion.
A video shared on X captured Trump navigating through a crowd of cheering supporters, receiving applause and handshakes along the way. As he passed by, Trump flashed a smile towards Rodgers, who sported a New York Yankees baseball cap and sat alongside former Green Bay Packers teammate Marcedes Lewis.
According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, Rodgers did not acknowledge Trump's presence, despite the smile directed towards him.
The incident sparked discussions on social media, with one notable user on X expressing disappointment, stating, "Aaron Rodgers just refused to shake Trump’s hand I lost all respect I had for him."
And the debate was on:
Opinions were divided among fans, with some suggesting that Rodgers intentionally snubbed the former president, while others argued that Trump simply walked past too quickly for a reaction.
Rodgers, known for his skepticism towards the COVID-19 vaccine, revealed discussions with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who shares similar views on vaccines. However, talks about Rodgers joining Kennedy's ticket did not materialize.
"I love Bobby. We had a couple really nice conversations," Rodgers shared, as reported by the Mail. "But there were really two options. It was retire and be his VP or keep playing. And I wanted to keep playing."
In an interview with Adam Schein on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Rodgers elaborated on his decision-making process.
“There was only two options. One of the options was to not play and go down the route of thinking about being VP, and obviously I was on a short list for [Kennedy]," he explained. "The other option was the option that … was the only one in my mind and that was playing football. I had to listen to Bobby because I respect him and I appreciate his friendship, but the entire time since Sept. 12 my focus has been playing. I listened to what he had to say, we had a couple of beautiful dinners and conversations, but in the end I was always playing," referring to the date of last year’s season-ending injury.