NFL icon Lawrence Taylor switches allegiance to Trump despite long-standing Democratic ties

Former NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor offered his full endorsement to Donald Trump at the former president’s rally on Saturday.

Trump was in Wildwood, New Jersey, addressing the crowd when he gave up the podium to Taylor. The two shared a hug before Taylor spoke to the crowd himself.

“I just wanted to say, I grew up a Democrat — and I’ve always been a Democrat — until I met this man right here,” Taylor said, gesturing to Trump, “He will not have to worry about nobody in my family will ever vote for a Democrat again.”

Taylor played 12 years for the the New York Giants. He won two Super Bowls in that time. NFL running back Ottis Anderson also took the podium and commented on the crowd’s enthusiasm. Anderson did not offer an explicit endorsement for Trump.

This comes as Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) has suggested “four out of 10 black men wanting to vote for the Republican Party, doubling the number of black women interested in voting for the Republican Party.”

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A Wall Street Journal poll from last month found 30% of Black voters were planning to probably or definitely vote for Trump over incumbent President Joe Biden. This is a massive swing from the 2020 election, where Biden swept 92% of the black vote.

In 2020, black voters made up 13.5% of all eligible voters. According to the Pew Research Center, they are expected to make up 14% in 2024.