Linebacker Abdul Carter was among the New York Giants players on Saturday who pushed back against growing speculation that quarterback Jaxson Dart’s political views were creating tension inside the locker room, making it clear the situation had been blown out of proportion.

“Me & JD6 are good! We spoke earlier as Men. Y’all can keep y’all narratives,” Abdul Carter posted on X.

The post came not long after Carter publicly reacted to Dart introducing President Donald Trump during a rally in Upstate New York on Friday.

“Thought this s–t was AI; what are we doing, man?” Carter wrote on X after the clip began circulating online.

Dart had accepted an invitation to speak at the event, which was held for New York congressman Mike Lawler’s reelection campaign at Rockland Community College in Suffern, just outside New York City.

“Big Blue nation, it’s a pleasure to be here,” Dart said as he opened his speech and tried to start a “Go Big Blue” chant before introducing Trump. “What an honor, what a privilege it is to be here. And without further ado, I’m grateful, I’m honored, and I’m pleased to introduce the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America, President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump later praised the young quarterback in front of everyone and called him a “future Hall of Famer.”

With the rally video going viral on the internet, the supporters even started digging into Dart’s earlier social media posts. One of those included an Instagram Story where Dart praised the conservative activist and Trump supporter, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in 2025. Along with Dart’s appearance at the rally, the post sparked further speculation about his political views, even though he had never publicly supported Trump before this.

Amid the controversy, Carter’s latest response seems to have at least ended rumors of any tension between the two teammates. Dart and Carter were both first-round picks for the Giants last year.

Carter was selected third overall out of Penn State, while the Giants traded back into the first round to draft Dart at No. 25 out of Ole Miss. Carter finished his rookie season with 43 tackles and four sacks. Dart threw for more than 2,200 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding nine rushing touchdowns in his first year as a starter.

Despite the clarification that there is no bad blood between them now, the already fueled controversy clearly gained more traction after Carter’s involvement. However, unlike Carter’s initial stance, Dart was backed by his other teammates.

Giants players defend Jaxson Dart amid growing controversy

Some people around the league quickly started speculating about possible locker room tension after Carter took to social media to publicly criticize his team’s starting quarterback.

Veteran beat reporter and Senior NFL Writer for the Boston Globe, Ben Volin, shared his take on X.

“Giants’ starting QB just divided his locker room,” Ben Volin posted on May 23, 2026.

However, Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor did not agree with that narrative and responded directly.

“Locker Room is fine,” Eluemunor wrote on X. “Focus on New England.”

Eluemunor’s response carried some weight considering his history with the New England Patriots. He spent two seasons there under former head coach Bill Belichick before being released in 2020 after injuries and a difficult mental battle.

After leaving the Patriots, Eluemunor had short stints with the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders before finding stability with the Giants in 2024. He was also not the only teammate who publicly backed Dart. Wide receiver Darius Slayton stepped in on social media as well to defend Dart against a false claim accusing him of making a racist comment.

Even with the off-field controversy and mixed reactions online, Dart’s rookie season gave the Giants reasons to feel confident about their investment in him. Dart finished 14th in the league with a QB Impact Score of 76.3, according to PFSN’s QB Impact metric. It will be interesting to see how he performs next year with new head coach John Harbaugh.