Lawrence Taylor, the Hall-of-Fame linebacker who helped lead the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles, stunned supporters at a Donald Trump campaign event in New Jersey on Saturday by revealing that he had abandoned his lifelong allegiance to the Democratic Party after meeting the former president.
“I just wanted to say I grew up a Democrat and I’ve always been a Democrat until I met this man right here,” the 65-year-old Taylor told the crowd along the Jersey Shore. “He will not have to worry nobody in my family ever voting for a Democrat again.”
Taylor, a beloved figure in New Jersey, was joined on stage by his former Giants teammate, retired running back Otis Anderson, who echoed his enthusiasm for Trump. “Don’t you just love that guy?” Anderson asked the audience. “I tell you it has been a very exciting day. You guys, not one person left here. You’re still here yelling and screaming.”
While the exact origins of Taylor and Trump’s relationship are unclear, it’s worth noting that the real estate mogul owned a USFL team in the 1980s that shared a stadium with Taylor’s Giants.
The two have also crossed paths on the golf course, with Taylor appearing on Trump’s Golf Channel show, “Fabulous World of Golf,” alongside San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice. In 2021, Taylor and Anderson were photographed together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, as seen on the company’s Facebook page.
Taylor’s endorsement, however, comes with a bit of controversy due to his well-documented personal struggles both during and after his NFL career, which ended in 1993.
The former University of North Carolina star has faced numerous drug-related arrests, declared bankruptcy in 1998, and has had at least two stints in drug rehab. In 1995, he choked long-time Giants reporter Ernie Palladino following a verbal altercation.
In 2010, Taylor pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of sexual misconduct and sex with an underage prostitute, receiving a sentence of six years’ probation. He was later arrested in 2022 for failing to report an address change.
Despite his off-field issues, Taylor has remained in the public eye, appearing on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” in 2009 and starring alongside Al Pacino in the 1999 film “Any Given Sunday.”
Trump, who has a history of aligning himself with controversial figures, seemed unfazed by Taylor’s past during the rally on Saturday. The endorsement from the Giants legend, who is still revered by many fans in New Jersey, could potentially boost Trump’s support in the state as he gears up for another presidential run in 2024.
