"23 doesn't go to Diddy freak off parties!": Netizens debate as viral tweet claiming Michael Jordan endorsed Trump for President goes viral
A rumor related to Michael Jordan's alleged endorsement of Donald Trump in the upcoming US Presidential Election has started making rounds on the internet. The news comes at a time when various celebrities have addressed their support for Trump, including Amber Rose and Savannah Chrisley.
Notably, the report of the former basketball player supporting Trump emerged out of a tweet shared through the official page of @TheRoyalSerf on X (formerly Twitter) on November 4, 2024. The post included a photo of Jordan alongside the headline saying that he was the “latest to endorse” Trump for President.
Meanwhile, the news was deemed false by fans since Michael Jordan has not posted anything linked to his support for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris through any platform. Moreover, Michael is currently silent on which side he is taking in the election. A context was also added below the tweet which started the rumors.
On the other hand, Michael Jordan had previously refused to get involved in such activities. A report by Daily Signal in September this year stated that Jordan was once questioned on whether he would endorse Democratic politician Harvey Gantt in the US Senate Elections in 1990. The outlet says that he simply responded to a friend at the time by saying:
“Republicans buy sneakers too.”
He addressed his choice while appearing for an interview in 2020 and said:
“I never thought of myself as an activist. I thought of myself as a basketball player."
While Michael Jordan has not shared a response to the viral tweet until now, the comments section of the post on @TheRoyalSerf was flooded with different reactions. One of them also wrote:
"23 doesn't go to Diddy freak off parties!"
People were spotted using the word "goat" for Donald Trump and Jordan in a few replies.
"Magic Johnson endorsed kameltoes... The GOAT Jordan endorsed the GOAT Trump", a user on X wrote.
"Because he's the GOAT! Hell, they both are!", one of the reactions stated.
Netizens also questioned the authenticity of the tweet since the same was not shared by any other outlet.
"What's the source for this? I can't find it anywhere", a netizen on X wrote.
"Sadly not true", another user mentioned.
"You mean Jim Jordan?", a user reaction reads.
Users additionally compared Michael Jordan to LeBron James in the reactions, who was endorsing Kamala Harris.
"This settles it, Lebron is a clown, Jordan is the goat", an X reaction reads.
"The debate has been settled. Michael > Lebron", another user on X mentioned.
"Jordan...always better than LeBron, even in politics", a reaction on X stated.
Michael Jordan has maintained a distance from politics throughout his career
The Brooklyn, New York native had a long list of achievements while playing for the NBA for around 19 years. He has been associated with Nike for a long time, which has additionally contributed to his wealth, adding him to the list of the most powerful celebrities.
Despite being a popular face, Michael Jordan has avoided speaking about anything related to politics. The reasons date back to his childhood, when his father told him to not speak on controversial political problems.
The 61-year-old explained the same while speaking to the GQ Magazine in October 2007. The interviewer addressed that Jordan has been criticized for not speaking on different political or social issues, stating that his father told him not to put himself in any situation for which he was unprepared. He continued by saying:
“My whole life had always been about being the best basketball player I could be. I had the absolute tunnel vision – everything was channeled toward that. So I thought it was kind of unfair that people asked me to do something that I wasn’t accustomed to doing just because of my profession.”
Furthermore, Michael Jordan also recalled when he used the line “Republicans buy sneakers, too”, and said that he “privately supported” Harvey Gantt in 1990. He also mentioned:
“If you asked me the pros and cons about Harvey Gantt, I’d have been lying to say one thing. Did I try to get involved and learn about him? No, because I wasn’t channeled into that. My motivation was to be the best basketball player I could be.”
Despite staying away from controversies by making political statements, Michael once hosted a fundraiser for Barack Obama in 2012. According to Forbes magazine, he also donated $10,000 for the latter’s participation in the US Senate Elections in 2004.