A social-media update by Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin’s family members came as a surprise in opening up the questions surrounding the Hall of Famer’s personal life. What was to be a normal story went viral in scope within the sports and political spheres, leaving everyone to reflect on a lesser-known aspect of Irvin’s life.

It started when Michael Irvin II, the son of Irvin, posted a video playing pool (8Ball). But what caught everyone’s eye was the caption. It read, “Hey look lol my dad is in a picture with Donald Trump in the background of this video 😂😂”

Lo and behold, in the background, there was a picture of Irvin and Trump together on the wall.

The story by Irvin’s son brought back some of the same old words by Michael in the limelight. Although the story was trivial, it was enough to revive outrage against Irvin’s previously admitted acquaintance with the president. Public records and past interviews bore witness that Irvin had spoken a few times before about Trump.

Irvin called Trump “a good man” and “a friend” in an August 2016 interview with the Dallas Morning News. The story, which was obtained before the 2016 presidential election, painted Irvin as a man who enjoyed Trump’s honesty and achievement and went on to say, ”I thought I had no chance at being a president, but Donald Trump is making me change my mind.”

But one year later, Irvin’s tone was less conciliatory. In September 2017, during national protests by NFL players, Irvin spoke to SportsDay in an interview and said he did not appreciate the way Trump had politicized sports and condemned the event as “sad.”

Additional comments from Irvin’s views were presented in 2018 when he told TMZ Sports that the White House tour boycott was “a shame” and that past teams, despite their political views, had done it. He explained that he “understood why players made their choices,” showing a middle ground rather than favoring either side.

Aside from these public statements, there is no report to indicate Irvin and Trump were professional acquaintances or close professional associates other than the picture on the wall.

It is worth noting that Michael Irvin’s public relationship with Donald Trump is not only a news-grabbing tale. His tumultuous public relationship with one of his sons, Elijah Irvin, who raps too as “Tut Tarantino,” has also made the news.

Irvin’s turbulent relationship with his rapper son

Elijah Irvin talked about how his dad’s public remarks to him had impacted his music and persona. Michael Irvin had already used his microphone to vent about his son’s rapper persona, saying in October of 2023 that his rap project presented a tough street image that didn’t reflect his life of privilege. “If you ever listen to some of his raps, I’m like, ‘Oh my God. Where does this come from, son?’ You grew up in a gated community your whole life,” Irvin stated.

Elijah went on to respond in an interview that although he highly regarded his father, he never went out of his way to introduce his music in case drawing attention to himself would do damage to Michael’s radio broadcasting business.

“I got the utmost respect for my father… A lot of s–t that I might wanted to do, bruh, I might’ve held back,” Elijah replied. “I don’t know if it’s going to f–k up an NFL Network deal. You know what I’m saying?”

For Michael Irvin, it was about wanting his son to be honest with art without relinquishing the weight of family legacy. For Elijah, it was about independence, finding a voice independent of his father’s celebrity status without giving up the privilege attached to it.

While Michael himself has not spoken publicly since that exchange, the family soap opera has continued to be newsworthy because of its honesty and upheaval.