Summary
Overview
Tommy Vietor sits down with Pablo Torre to examine how Donald Trump and his administration leverage sports for political gain and profit. The conversation explores Trump's relationships with NFL owners and sports leagues, the explosive growth of sports gambling following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, and how figures like Riley Gaines have weaponized trans athlete debates. Torre reveals troubling connections between the Trump family and betting companies, the dangers of "event contracts," and how gambling has become increasingly predatory while oversight has weakened.
Trump's Complex Relationship with the NFL and Sports Culture
Despite positioning himself as sports-obsessed, Trump reveals shallow knowledge of athletics while cultivating relationships with billionaire team owners and league officials. He attempted to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014, telling the Associated Press he probably wouldn't have run for president if successful. His friendship with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Bob Kraft demonstrates how he uses sports as a country club he desperately wants to join, though his actual knowledge—like butchering quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's name—exposes him as someone who loves being sports-adjacent rather than genuinely understanding the games.
- Trump mispronounced Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's name despite being prompted, revealing his shallow sports knowledge
- Trump was a final bidder for the Buffalo Bills in 2014 and told AP that purchasing a team would have prevented his presidential run
- Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl but is skipping this year's game, potentially to avoid being booed
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has embraced Trump, holding events at the White House despite past tensions
" If I bought that team I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing god damn it Buffalo. "
" He has always respected it as a country club he was not allowed into. And so that is a that is a genuine thirst that we're seeing detecting in all of these relationships. But again, like self-interest and a desire to be in the club does not mean that you love the game. "
Colin Kaepernick, Race, and the NFL's Pendulum Swing
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality became a defining political moment. Trump called for players who knelt to be fired, contributing to Kaepernick's effective blackballing from the NFL. Torre reflects on how Kaepernick's respectful, silent protest—recommended by a military veteran—was vilified, while today's actual government overreach makes that moment seem "quaint." The NFL's brief embrace of anti-racism messaging during the 2020 pendulum swing has now reversed completely.
- Kaepernick's kneeling was recommended by a military veteran as the most respectful form of protest
- Trump called protesting players 'sons of bitches' and demanded they be removed from the field
- The NFL briefly embraced anti-racism messaging including 'End Racism' in end zones but never genuinely cared about the issue
- Torre notes the contrast between Kaepernick's silent, nonviolent protest and current government actions in Minnesota
" it's so quaint what kaepernick actually was doing he was kneeling and staying silent he was very silent almost problematically silent i remember people being like could you please talk more and no he was like this is what i'm going to do "
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