TURNING POINT

NFL Legend Outs Himself as MAGA by Turning Up to Back Trump

The former Patriots star made his political allegiances known with the public appearance.

Former New England Patriots icon Rob Gronkowski showed up to sign jerseys and pose for photos outside a tent for the ultraconservative Turning Point USA organization in New Hampshire on Election Day.

“Gronk,” a tight end who helped the Patriots win four Super Bowls, met voters and candidates at polling places across New Hampshire on Election Day. Gronkowski previously stayed out of politics publicly but has been registered as a Republican in Florida, where he appears to currently reside.

Turning Point USA, which advocates for conservative values and candidates, has made extensive efforts in New Hampshire to elect Republican Senate hopeful John Sununu over Democrat Chris Pappas. A spokesperson for the organization said Gronkowski wasn’t explicitly there with the group but walked by their tent and took photos with members.

“We’re putting the biggest ground force that’s ever been put on the ground in New Hampshire for Republicans,” Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer for Turning Point Action, told CNN in July.

Gronkowski appeared in photos with several Republican candidates in competitive races. Republican gubernatorial incumbent Kelly Ayotte posted a photo with the football star and his girlfriend, Camille Kostek, at a polling location in Bedford, NH. Additionally, Henry Giasson, a Republican running for state representative, said Gronkowski signed one of his campaign signs in Goffstown.

The Daily Beast has reached out to a representative for Gronkowski for comment.

Other sports legends, including former Patriot wide receiver Danny Amendola, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., and former Red Sox all-star Kevin Youkilis, were also seen visiting polling locations across the state. Some Granite Staters reported receiving text messages on Monday that teased celebrity visits at certain polling places, though the source of the texts is unclear.

Amendola and Mayweather are both outspoken Trump supporters who have appeared at MAGA rallies. Mayweather spoke at an October midterm rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, where Trump also wished Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk a posthumous happy birthday. Amendola campaigned with Trump at another October rally in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Youkilis has mostly stayed quiet about his political affiliations, but he defended the Red Sox champions who visited Trump’s White House after their 2018 World Series victory.

Gronkowski has not been politically vocal in the past, but in 2023 he echoed MAGA talking points about transgender athletes.

“There are men’s sports for men, there’s women’s sports for women. It should just stay like that. It’s just as simple as that, man. There’s really no argument. There should really be no conversation about it,” he told Fox News then. “How it’s been is how it should be. Men play men’s sports, women play women’s sports. It’s as simple as that. It’s really unfair if a man went into a women’s sport and played it. It just doesn’t really make much sense to me.”

On Tuesday, he took a photograph with Karina Nicholas, the Communications Director for the New Hampshire Republican Party, in front of the Turning Point tent. Nicholas posted the photo on X with the caption, “You never know who you will run into on Election Day!”

Gronkowski was also filmed waving an American flag outside a polling location in front of yard signs supporting Republican candidates. A representative from Turning Point shared the video on X around noon, writing, “Superbowl champion Rob Gronkowski is greeting voters today in New Hampshire and telling them to vote. John Sununu has a real chance to win!”

“My message out here in New Hampshire is just to go out there and vote. It doesn’t matter what party you’re voting for. It’s just important that you go out there and vote, and that’s what it’s all about,” Gronkowski said in Bedford. “Today, this is a special morning. We’re out here, it’s a beautiful day out, and it’s bringing people together, and it’s awesome.”

Obsessed with pop culture and entertainment? Follow us on Substack and YouTube for even more coverage.

Dana Herrnstadt Editorial Intern, Obsessed

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.