Donald Trump Tells NFL Teams to ‘Hire’ John Harbaugh ‘Fast’ After Ravens Fire Him

President Donald Trump is lobbying for former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to land another NFL job quickly.

The Ravens dismissed Harbaugh, 63, on Jan. 6 after 18 seasons leading the franchise. Trump, 79, reacted on Truth Social the following day with a direct message to the rest of the league.

“HIRE JOHN HARBAUGH, FAST,” Trump wrote in a post on Wednesday, Jan. 7. He added, “HE, AND HIS BROTHER, ARE TOTAL WINNERS!!!”

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement Tuesday that moving on from Harbaugh “was an incredibly difficult decision,” pointing to the “tremendous 18 years we have spent together” and the “profound respect I have for John as a coach.” Bisciotti also called him a “great man of integrity” and said the organization will be “forever grateful” for his tenure in Baltimore.

Harbaugh addressed the decision in his own statement, saying it “comes with disappointment, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION.”

Harbaugh has crossed paths with Trump before and defended a White House visit in July that drew criticism. He attended with his brother, Jim Harbaugh—head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers—and several family members, after Trump had previously made “denigrating” remarks about Baltimore. In 2019, Trump referred to the city as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”

After facing backlash for the visit, Harbaugh pushed back when questioned by reporters and described the meeting in personal terms.

“It’s not often you get a chance to do something like that as a family,” Harbaugh said. “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.”

He continued, “It was amazing. It was awesome. 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.”