Bettis urges Giants teammates Dart and Carter to find common ground after political rift

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis has called on New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and linebacker Abdul Carter to set aside their political differences and focus on their shared goals as teammates, after a public dispute erupted over Dart's appearance at a President Donald Trump rally in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026. Dart introduced Trump at the event, drawing a critical response from Carter on social media that briefly threatened to spill into the Giants' locker room ahead of the team's first season together.

Carter reposted video of Dart's introduction on X, captioning it, "Thought this s--- was AI, what we doing man." He has since deleted the post. Dart, 23, led the crowd in a "Go Big Blue" chant before welcoming Trump to the stage, describing it as an honor to introduce "the 45th and 47th president of the United States." Carter subsequently posted - and later deleted - a message indicating the two had spoken privately. "Me and JD6 are good! We spoke earlier as Men," Carter wrote. "Y'all can keep y'all narratives."

Bettis, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1993 to 2005 and won a Super Bowl title with the franchise, told Fox News Digital that political disagreements among teammates are manageable so long as players remain committed to collective purpose. "You don't have to agree. And that's the one thing. I mean, you don't agree with your teammate, but you got to find a way to work with them, and I think that's what happens," he said. He added that team sports, by their nature, require individuals from different backgrounds to reach common ground. "People coming from different walks of life are all coming together for one common goal. And in order for you to all support that goal, you have to find common ground with each other."

Bettis acknowledged that the political environment has shifted considerably since his playing days, making such moments harder to navigate. "The landscape of politics right now is very divisive," he said. "It was much different 20 years ago than it is now. Now everyone's picking sides and this and that, and now you hate the other guy's side. And that was never the case in politics 20 years ago. Hey, you respected the guy's decision and his politics was his politics, and now it's a much different dynamic that politics weighs on people nowadays." He said politics never caused a significant locker room issue during his career.

Dart and Carter are both rookies entering their first NFL season with the Giants. Whether their reported private conversation has fully resolved the tension will become clearer once the team reports for training camp. Bettis, meanwhile, is set to compete in the American Century Tournament at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe from July 10 to 12, an event he has participated in since retiring in 2006. The tournament, broadcast on NBC and Peacock, raises funds for regional and national charities.