Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter say their relationship is intact after a disagreement over Dart’s appearance introducing President Donald Trump at a New York rally last week. Carter said the two talked it through and moved on, closing a brief but public friction that had spilled into social media and a team meeting.
The issue surfaced after Dart introduced Trump at a May 22 rally, and Carter posted a critical message the following day. By Tuesday morning, the Giants had pulled the matter into the building, with Dart and several team leaders addressing the room after the holiday weekend. Carter was not there because he had a preplanned absence from voluntary workouts for religious obligations, but he said later he knew the matter was resolved.
Carter said he and Dart had ironed out their differences in conversation Saturday afternoon, then followed up by saying everything was fine on social media. He also said he knows Dart is a good dude, and that the two have known each other for almost two years, since they came into the Giants at the same time and shared similar experiences. “We can talk about it as men, which we did, and move forward from it,” Carter said.
Dart has been more expansive in explaining why he took part in the rally. After Friday’s OTA at the Giants team facility, he delivered a three-plus-minute statement saying he respects the presidential position regardless of political affiliation and noting his family has a long military history. He also said, in effect, that the two sides had simply talked.
The disagreement was made sharper by one point Carter would not ignore and then would not dwell on: Dart did not apologize for his actions, but Carter said he did not think an apology was necessary. That leaves the episode less as a rupture than as a reminder of how quickly a political appearance can seep into a locker room, especially when teammates are already under the same spotlight. The original plan for Dart’s role last week did not appear to include introducing the president, and exactly who changed that plan has not been explained.
Giants coach John Harbaugh said the Tuesday meeting was a “great opportunity” and a players-led session, adding that the team established among itself how it wanted to approach matters like this. For now, the answer inside the building is simple: Dart and Carter have moved past it, and the next test is whether the team can keep political noise from becoming football business.
