Trump Is Shaking Up Football Culture One Dance Move At A Time

A new phenomenon is taking hold of the football world — and no, I’m not referring to the increase in squirrels finding their way onto the field during Ole Miss games.

Throughout the past few weeks, players at the collegiate and professional levels have been breaking out some familiar dance moves after making big plays. To the casual observer, the celebrations seem like the typical over-the-top theatrics displayed on the field after a major performance. For those who’ve watched Donald Trump bust a move to “YMCA,” however, the inspiration for the dance is pretty clear.

During Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Fransisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa and several of his teammates playfully mimicked the soon-to-be 47th president’s classic moves to celebrate a major play against Tampa Bay’s offense. And they’re not the only ones doing so.

At the collegiate level, Drake Bulldogs wide receiver Trey Radocha boogied to Trump’s beat after scoring a touchdown during the school’s Saturday game against the University of St. Thomas. Radocha later thanked the president-elect for the “dance move” on X.

Northern Illinois Huskies tight end Tristen Tewes also displayed the president’s famous dance after scoring a touchdown during a recent game.

But imitating Trump’s dancing is only a small part of the cultural shift happening in football. Unlike years prior, players are no longer afraid to show their support for the incoming president.

Following the 49ers’ Week 8 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Bosa photobombed his teammates during a post-game NBC interview, pointing to the white and gold MAGA hat on his head before running off camera. The NFL has since fined Bosa for purportedly violating league policy, a punishment the defensive end previously told reporters would be “well worth it.”

“[I]f it comes, it comes,” Bosa said of the fine days before it was issued. “I don’t think my position on speaking about [what I did] is going to change. Clearly, the nation spoke, and we got what we got.”

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Open support for Trump is also noticeable on the Kansas City Chiefs roster. Long snapper James Winchester donned a red MAGA hat on the field after the team’s Week 9 overtime win against the Buccaneers, while kicker Harrison Butker endorsed Trump weeks before the 2024 election.

Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon, former Packers quarterback Brett Favre, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown, and former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor are among other footballers to openly support Trump in recent months.

As The Federalist’s John Daniel Davidson previously noted, many Americans have shed the fear instilled in them by legacy media to hide their support for Trump. After two assassination attempts against the incoming president and years of disgusting left-wing smears, they no longer feel shamed into hiding their commonsense beliefs and are outwardly rejecting the corporate press’s dishonest bullying tactics.

It appears that trend has now made its way into America’s sports culture, giving non-leftist athletes the courage to profess their conservative beliefs. Whether it continues to permeate into other areas of culture remains to be seen.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood