Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is standing by his recent visit to the White House, where he met with President Donald Trump—calling the experience “amazing” and “awesome,” despite some backlash over the president’s past remarks about the city of Baltimore.
Speaking to reporters at Ravens training camp on Wednesday, July 23, Harbaugh addressed a pointed question about why he would meet with Trump, considering the president once described Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”
Harbaugh pushed back:
“Why you frame that question — I would’ve framed it like, ‘You got a chance to go visit with the president, man. What was that experience like?’” he said.
“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.”
Harbaugh said he wasn’t alone on the trip. He was joined by several family members, including his daughter, his parents, and his nieces—the daughters of his brother Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
“It’s not often you get a chance to do something like that as a family,” he said. “My mom and President Trump—you know, seeing how he treated her was really meaningful.”
Harbaugh also noted that he has previously met Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Back in 2013, he visited the White House after the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory, where President Obama held up a team jersey in celebration.
Though Trump’s past criticism of Baltimore and its late congressman Elijah Cummings sparked outrage at the time, Harbaugh didn’t wade into the political fray. Instead, he focused on the significance of the moment: “It was an amazing experience.”
Now, Harbaugh’s focus is back on football. As the Ravens prepare for the upcoming season with quarterback Lamar Jackson, the team is chasing a historic third straight AFC North title.
