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Super Bowl champion and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Jerome Bettis weighed in on the heated Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter discourse.
Dart introduced President Donald Trump before his speech in Suffern, New York, on Friday, and New York Giants teammate Abdul Carter took issue with it. Bettis said they don’t have to agree on their political views, but they have to find a way to work together.
“You don’t have to agree. And that’s the one thing. I mean, you don’t agree with your teammate, but you have to find a way to work with them, and I think that’s what happens,” Bettis told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
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Jerome Bettis speaks on SiriusXM during Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, La., on Feb. 5, 2025. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Bettis said Dart and Carter need to find common ground.
“I think politics, it’s always there. It’s never really in the forefront in terms of sports or a locker room. So I don’t think it’s ever an issue. But what you have to do is find common ground. I think that’s what team sports are all about,” Bettis said.
“People who come from different walks of life all come together for one common goal. And in order for you all to support that goal, you have to find common ground with each other.”
Carter and Dart seemed to find some common ground as they appeared to squash any potential rift, with Carter writing to X in a since-deleted tweet that they were “good.”
“Me and JD6 are good! We used to talk like men,” Carter wrote. “You can all keep your stories.”
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(Left) New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) works out before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Dec. 21, 2025. (Right) Abdul Carter (51) of the New York Giants looks on from the sideline prior to an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, New Jersey, Oct. 9 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. 2025. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images; Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Dart, 23, set the stage for Trump’s speech with a song before welcoming the president to the stage.
“Big Blue Nation, it’s a pleasure to be here. I had to start this off with a ‘Go Big Blue,'” Dart said, then led the chant for a few moments before continuing to introduce Trump.
“What an honor, what a privilege to be here, and without further ado, I’m grateful, I’m honored, I’m pleased to introduce the 45th and 47th President of the United States, President Donald J. Trump.”
Trump and Dart then shook hands on stage before the 23-year-old departed.
Carter started the firestorm by reposting a video of Dart introducing Trump at X and captioning the tweet, “thought this was AI what we do man.” He has since deleted the tweet.
Bettis played from 1993-2005, and he said politics was not an issue during his time in the NFL. He noted that the political climate has changed drastically in the past 20 years since his retirement.
“No, it never did (create a problem). But you have to understand that the political landscape right now is very divisive. So I think it was a lot different 20 years ago than it is now. Now everybody’s picking sides, and this and that, and now you hate the other guy’s side. And that was never the case in politics 20 years ago. Hey, you respected his politics another, and now his politics were another. Politics weighs on people today,” said Betty.
EMMANUEL ACHO SAYS IT WAS ‘PRET STUPID’ FOR JAXSON DART TO INTRODUCE PRESIDENT TRUMP
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart greets President Donald Trump during a Fighting For American Workers event in Suffern, NY on May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
American Century Championship
Bettis will play in the American Century Tournament from 10-12. July at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe.
The tournament has raised more than $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising at the tournament to drive direct donations to Stowers each year.
Bettis has been a longtime competitor in the tournament since retiring in 2006. He said it has been “incredible” to watch the event grow over the years.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer said he is still trying to round out the form for the tournament. Bettis said he’s trying a new swing and wondering how it will hold up.
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Jerome Bettis swings during the final round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., on July 16, 2023. (Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Bettis said his favorite part of the tournament is interacting with the athletes and having fun with the guys.
“I think the favorite part is really getting to chop it up with the athletes, because obviously you’re retired, you don’t get the chance to do that anymore. And then when you get a chance to kind of rib guys and have fun with guys like that locker room experience again, it’s really fun and exciting,” Bettis said.
The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
