Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is standing by his recent White House visit, describing his meeting with President Trump as “amazing.”
Harbaugh spoke about the trip on Wednesday, July 23, during training camp, after a reporter questioned his decision to meet the president — particularly given Trump’s past controversial remarks about the city of Baltimore.
“Why you frame that question — I would’ve framed that question like, ‘You got a chance to go visit with the president, man. What was that experience like?’ ” Harbaugh responded.
“It was amazing. It was awesome,” he said. “And I promise you, I root for our president. I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful, and I want my team to be successful.”
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The longtime coach made the trip with members of his family, including his nieces — daughters of Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
“It was an amazing experience,” Harbaugh told reporters. “It’s not often you get a chance to do something like that as a family. We were there, my daughter was there, Jim’s daughters were there. My mom and dad were there. My mom and President Trump, you know, seeing how he treated her was really meaningful.”
In addition to President Trump, Harbaugh said he has also met Presidents Biden and Obama in the past.
In 2019, President Trump sparked outrage after calling Baltimore a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess,” and saying that “no human being would want to live there.” His remarks also included criticism of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, a frequent critic of Trump’s administration.
Now back to work, Harbaugh is focused on leading the Ravens through preseason. The team — led by quarterback Lamar Jackson — is chasing history as it aims to become the first to win three consecutive AFC North titles.
