Le’Veon Bell has jumped on the train of former athletes and celebs gaining clout for backing Donald Trump – and critics say he’s gone too far.
On Saturday, Bell, a former Pittsburg Steeler NFL player, posted a picture of himself on X with the caption “Trump or The Tr*mp?,” wearing a t-shirt with the same words above the viral photo of Trump, pumping his fist after the attempted assassination on his life, next to a photo of Vice President Kamala Harris making an unflattering face.
Bell, who is Black, immediately faced backlash in the comments, with one comment standing out in particular.
“Why can’t you support your candidate without being disrespectful to the Black woman running against him?” tweeted Mari Copeny, the 16-year-old activist also known as Little Miss Flint.
It was a stark contrast – a grown man casually attacking the most powerful Black woman in American politics – and the young Black girl calling out the sexism underlying his attack on Harris.
Le’Veon Bell, known for having massive Bible verses tattooed on his body, also excitedly tweeted a video of himself meeting Donald Trump before a campaign rally in Pittsburgh alongside former NFL player Antonio Brown.
“I was just on stage with @realDonaldTrump !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Bell tweeted.
Both Bell and Brown spoke at the podium during the Saturday rally in the swing state of Pennsylvania, offering little explanation for their endorsements other than thin praise.
“Let’s go Trump! You already know, vote for Trump. Let’s go!” said Bell.
“Tampon Tim Walz, he isn’t a real football coach,” Brown said when it was his turn. “He could never guard me.”
The appearance reflects a dynamic that has become common during Trump’s run for president. With the Republican Party lacking racial diversity, any Black person who endorses Trump, whether they be a D-list celebrity or troubled former athlete, is noticeable. It’s free publicity for someone looking to boost their profile or relevance. And it seems in Trump’s world, any Black person will do, no matter how problematic or stereotypical they are.
The New York Post previously reported a story in 2021 about Le’Veon Bell being blasted by an ex-girlfriend who called herself his sixth baby mama. Trump has also been accused of rape and sexual assault by at least 26 women. Neither of these facts prevented Bell from attacking Harris — who is happily married — with sexist vulgarity.
Yet the visual of a semi-profile Black man denigrating a Black woman to support Trump only serves to back a critique offered by former President Barack Obama during a campaign stop with Black men, one that caused some backlash and handwringing in Democratic circles over the possibility of offending Black male voters. As Obama told the group:
“Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
The majority of Black men polled actually favor voting for Vice President Harris; however, for those who are undecided, Bell’s case provides a good case study to explore just one of the more uncomfortable reasons why they may see Harris through a tainted lens.
