Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter have been intrinsically linked since they were both selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the New York Giants. That connection took on a new layer after Dart introduced President Donald Trump at a rally and Carter reacted as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
The media feeding frenzy has been intense for several days since, but both the quarterback and linebacker had their chance to speak directly to reporters on Friday.
For both of them, the message is clear: they’ve talked it out and are ready to move forward.
Dart spoke to the media first, saying he decided to appear at the rally to support the office of the president, that he sees Carter as a “brother,” and that they’re aligned moving forward.
The QB left the podium as Carter approached, and the two shared an embrace to make those sentiments manifest.
Carter then stood at the podium. While Dart kept his statement devoid of any specific appreciation for Donald Trump, Carter’s statement was a bit more forthright about where he stands. Still, he echoed the sentiment that he is ready to move past the controversy with his teammate.
Abdul Carter says he will only address Jaxson Dart introducing Donald Trump one time:
“Some things are bigger than football, and this is one of those things.
Jaxson is one of our leaders – he’s the face of our franchise. He represents himself and what he does, and he represents… pic.twitter.com/u6ohplXL6l
— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) May 29, 2026
“I want to say that some things are bigger than football, and this is one of those things,” said Carter. “Jaxson is one of our leaders. He’s the face of our franchise. He not only represents himself and what he does, but he represents all of us, and that goes for anybody who wears a Giants uniform. But if he chooses to align himself with a man like President Trump, it’s my responsibility, based on what I believe and what I stand on, to not only show my teammates that I’m against that, but to show the world.
“That doesn’t mean that we have to spread hate. It doesn’t mean that me and Jaxson hate each other or we have beef. I sit next to Jaxson every day, every team meeting. We close, we talk, you know, we just, as long as we make sure we got the same goal as a team and our goals align, which they do. And I feel like that’s all that matters. So I just want to move past this, and yeah, that’s it.”
Carter was asked if Dart apologized to him over the controversy. Dart had declined to answer when asked whether he had, but Carter confirmed that was not the case, nor did he want one.
Abdul Carter is asked if Jaxson Dart apologized in their conversation:
“I don’t want him to say he’s sorry. Stand on what you believe in, but it can’t be a problem if I stand on what I believe in. As long as we have that understanding, it’s all good.” pic.twitter.com/GvotBBBKZM
— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) May 29, 2026
“No, I don’t want him to say he’s sorry,” said Carter. “Like, stand on what you believe in, but it can’t be a problem when I stand on what I believe in. And that’s all that matters to me. Just as long as we have that understanding, it’s all good.”
Both players made it clear it’s time to move forward, but it does seem impossible for this situation to dissipate overnight, especially as it continues to be red meat for New York media (not to mention D.C. media).
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.