The NFL has finally weighed in on the viral “Trump dance” that’s sweeping the sports world in honor of President-elect Donald Trump.
In a statement from NFL Chief Spokesperson Brian McCarthy, the league made it clear it has no problem with the players who have celebrated their individual victories on the field by doing the dance, which became a viral sensation during the 2024 election, OutKick reported.
“There’s no issue with celebratory dances such as what took place Sunday or the previous week with the 49ers on November 10,” McCarthy said in an e-mail.
NFL players from across the league have celebrated their victories by doing the dance, which became a trend on social media after supporters made videos of themselves doing the same dance moves that Trump often did when he danced to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” at his numerous campaign rallies.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers did the Trump-esque dance moves when he scored a touchdown on Sunday, after he caught a 23-yard pass from Gardner Minshew late in the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins.
And while those watching the game live saw Bowers’ dance in the end zone — and then a shot of Raiders’ owner Mark Davis reacting to the TD — the victory celebration seemed to be missing from the post “NFL on CBS” made on X, OutKick noted. The social media post showed the 23-yard catch and then cut straight to the shot of Davis in his suite.
The NFL, through a spokesperson, has confirmed that it has “no issue” with players who do the dance that mimics the moves of President-elect Donald Trump.
“There’s no issue with celebratory dances such as what took place Sunday or the previous week with the 49ers on November… pic.twitter.com/JUTjJIfLC2
— OutKick (@Outkick) November 19, 2024
But Bowers wasn’t the only NFL player rocking the dance moves. During the Detroit Lions game, Za’Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez celebrated their team’s defensive stop on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, by doing a series of dance moves that included the funny Trump-esque dance steps.
Tennessee Titans players Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine busted out the Trump moves ahead of what appeared to be a touchdown during the team’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
A week earlier — shortly after Trump’s victory against Vice President Kamala Harris — it was San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa who first did the Trump dance moves on the field following a sack of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player, the Post noted.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Hall of Fame football legend Brett Favre was asked about the “Trump dance” and said he didn’t think the league would fine players or institute any kind of ban to get players to stop showing support on the field for Trump.
“I find it hard to believe that the NFL would crack down on this ‘Trump’ dance,” Favre told Fox News. “I really do. I would hope that they wouldn’t.”