Michael Jordan clarifies his reported Trump support

Former basketball star Michael Jordan, one of the living legends of sport in the entire world, denied having called for the vote for presidential candidate Donald Trump, and being the author of a publication that was falsely attributed to him which showed support for the Republican.

On Sunday, a post written by a profile using a pseudonym claimed that Michael Jordan (61), known for avoiding involvement in politics and public debates, was “the latest person to show his support for Donald Trump as president.” The post quickly went viral on Twitter and subsequently spread to other social media platforms.

ELECTION LIVE: Follow all the latest updates on the US presidential race

‘Not the slightest truth’ in Trump support from Jordan

The NBA legend waited a day before issuing a statement through his representatives to the British newspaper The Independent, flatly denying the claim: “There is not the slightest truth to the claim that Michael Jordan has given his support (to anyone) in the presidential election.”

Reuters soon confirmed the ‘fake’ support, saying "Michael Jordan has not made an endorsement for any presidential candidate in the 2024 election, contrary to social media posts saying that he endorsed Donald Trump."

This is not the first time there have been attempts to pull Jordan into the political arena. In 1990, a Democratic Senate candidate in North Carolina, Jordan’s home state, named Harvey Gantt sought his endorsement.

Full screen

Jordan responded with his famous remark, “Republicans buy sneakers too,” referencing his lucrative endorsement deal with Nike’s Jordan brand.

In the 2020 Netflix documentary series about his life, Jordan reflected, “I never saw myself as an activist. I think of myself as a basketball player.”