US soccer legend Tim Howard says athletes ‘glorify’ racism by doing the Trump dance, but wearing Pride rainbows is OK
Former U.S. men’s national soccer goalie Tim Howard said professional athletes dancing like Donald Trump is “stupid” and supports a racist person.
The New Jersey native called Trump “racist” and accused athletes of glorifying racism by celebrating with the dance.
At the same time, Howard recalled a “Rainbow Laces” campaign when he played in England said he chose to wear laces while others didn’t. However, for his decision to represent gay pride, Howard said it was not an “on the field” statement nor a “polarizing moment.”
Howard has also worn a rainbow armband on multiple occasions throughout his career.
The 45-year-old played 13 years in England’s top professional league while also representing the United States in the World Cup twice. The goalkeeper criticized the U.S. team’s current star Christian Pulisic, who did the popular Trump dance after a goal in a recent game against Jamaica.
Howard accused Pulisic of weaseling out of his responsibility when he said he just thought the dance “was funny” and only did it “for fun.”
The goalie said, “Don’t go quiet and don’t plead innocence.”
“I don’t buy that. Any show of support for Donald Trump is political,” Howard declared.
He also criticized other athletes like NFL star Nick Bosa, claiming in his op-ed for the Daily Mail that Bosa “tried to dodge questions” about wearing a “Make America Great Again Hat.”
Howard also accused UFC heavyweight Jon Jones of jumping on the Trump bandwagon when he handed the president his championship belt and did the dance at Madison Square Garden.
Tim Howard wears a gay pride armband while playing for the Colorado Rapids in 2016.Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images
‘[Trump] has repeatedly been slow to condemn white supremacist groups.’
Howard went on to say that sports organizations “need to educate players” to remind them that their words and actions matter, further expressing that, in his opinion, Trump’s actions have made it “clear” that he is racist.
While Howard clarified that Trump has openly stated he isn’t racist and gained more black voters in 2024 than ever before, the goalie listed some reasons for believing Trump is racist.
Howard claimed Trump called for a “shutdown of Muslims entering the country in 2015,” has “repeatedly been slow to condemn white supremacist groups,” and also “taunted Barack Obama” over his birth certificate.
Further cementing that his politics are undoubtedly approved, Howard noted that the U.S. women’s national soccer team has been fighting for “equal pay, and inclusion, and LGBTQ+ rights.”
This “war” with Trump — as Howard called it — is apparently at odds with Pulisic, the team’s “biggest star,” because he did the Trump dance.
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