Tom Brady Has Apparently Been Texting With Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis lately has been mimicking Donald Trump, presumably as he attempts to curry favor among the MAGA sect ahead of a potential 2024 presidential run. The Florida governor taking after the former president’s habits extends beyond aping his hand gestures and rallying for Trump-endorsed candidates. DeSantis is also a big fan of Tom Brady, and the two are even on texting terms, according to Tim Michels, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin.

Michels hosted DeSantis in Green Bay last month, with the pair attending a Packers game at Lambeau Field. He spoke about the experience at a campaign event last Thursday, according to The New York Times.

“We’re sitting there, you know, we’re watching the game, and all of a sudden, I look over, and he’s texting, and he says, ‘How do you spell Lambeau?’” Michel’s recalled. “I say, ‘Who are you texting with?’ He says, ‘I’m texting with Tom Brady.’ The governor of Florida gets to text with Tom Brady.”

Brady has been pretty tight-lipped about his politics, but he did say in Sept. 2015 that a Trump presidency “would be great” after reporters spotted a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker. He didn’t have much to add about Trump while he was in office, although in 2017 he joined some of his New England Patriots teammates who skipped out on a trip to the White House following their Super Bowl win.

Trump has long praised Brady and has even talked on numerous occasions about how he would make a great husband for his daughter Ivanka. There probably isn’t much that would irk the former president more than his football-throwing man crush cozying up to DeSantis, who governs the state where Brady’s current team plays. It could get ugly in a few years if the two Republicans have to battle it out for the future Hall of Famers endorsement.