In a move that surprises absolutely no one who has followed the intersection of sports and politics over the last decade, President Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social to voice his displeasure over the Patriots legend’s snub: Bill Belichick. 

The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was not among the first-ballot inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. As the news reached the ears of President Trump, he didn’t just offer a critique but accused the league of being soft. 

“It is the same mindset that gave pro football the new and unwatchable ‘Sissy’ Kickoff Rule, that made it possible for Bill Belichick to not be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” President Trump wrote on Truth. “Both are ridiculous and should be overturned!”

According to reporters from ESPN, Belichick’s snub wasn’t about a lack of talent or accolades. It was over a lack of trust, all dating back 20 years ago. 

In 2007, Belichick was involved in a “Spygate” scandal, where he was hit with a record $500,000 fine for illicitly filming opponents’ signals. Then, in 2015, he and Tom Brady were involved in the “Deflategate” controversy. 

“The twin cheating scandals during the Patriots’ championship run came up in deliberations among voters,” reported ESPN, via multiple sources. 

The former executive of the Bills and Colts, Bill Polian, suggested that Belichick should wait an extra year as atonement for the 2007 filming scandal, via reports. While he has since pushed back on those claims, the sentiment was echoed by other committee members. 

One longtime voter even admitted to ESPN that the cheating narrative was the primary barrier. Because if they’re to go by the accolades, Belichick’s induction wouldn’t even be up for discussion. 

He has six Super Bowl rings as a head coach and 333 career victories, trailing only the immortal Don Shula. Additionally, he holds 17 divisional titles and nine conference championships to his name. That’s why Belichick’s reaction to his snub felt more candid. 

“Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” Belichick reportedly said, via ESPN. “What does a guy have to do?”

Perhaps it’s not. He failed to reach the 80% consensus required for his induction in the first year of eligibility. 

What’s interesting, or rather ironic, is Belichick’s complicated relationship with President Trump. During his first term, the former Patriots head coach was set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, he turned down the nation’s highest civilian honor following the violent events in the Capitol building in Washington by Trump’s supporters. 

Now, Trump stands as Belichick’s most vocal defender. 

Sports legend standing by Bill Belichick

President Trump wasn’t the only one to stand by Belichick. The legend’s snub has, in fact, united the entire sports world in a chorus of shock. While the Hall of Fame maintains a strict “no comment” policy (at least until the official NFL Honors ceremony on February 5), the biggest sports icons have been voicing their displeasure. 

NBA legend LeBron James was utterly stunned by the news, as he went to social media to call the snub “impossible, egregious, and quite frankly disrespectful.”

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Chiefs legend Patrick Mahomes, too, spoke out by calling the HOF’s decision to rob Belichick of the honor “insane.”

Pro Hall of Famer JJ Watt joked that this must be a “knock-off Hall of Fame.” What other explanation is there to snub a six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach from the first-ballot lock?

Belichick’s voters also addressed the snub, perhaps in the most unfiltered manner. Hall of Fame voter Armando Salguero called the outcome an embarrassment to the institution and challenged those who voted “no” to stop hiding behind secret ballots. He, of course, voted for the legendary coach. 

For now, the football world is left waiting for February 5, where the biggest storyline wouldn’t be “who” is announced on that stage, but rather the one who wouldn’t be.