Ryan Clark, a Super Bowl champ and NFL analyst, shared his thoughts on President-elect Donald Trump after his win over Vice President Kamala Harris. He posted a video on his X account, reflecting on Trump’s first term.
Clark said his initial reaction to the election reminded him of how "divisive" the country had become. “It reminded me how divisive this country had gotten,” he said. “How divisive this election had gotten.”
ESPN's Ryan Clark said that he would respect Trump after he won the election, but after total strangers yelled at him in his mentions and he lost some followers, he felt the need to walk back his opinion in an over-dramatized video. 🤡
— OutKick (@Outkick) November 12, 2024
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He questioned when it became acceptable for candidates to act as if they won the Super Bowl. “When did they brag about it? When did they boast about it? When did they throw it in your face?” he asked.
Clark compared this to the emotions he felt during Barack Obama’s presidency. He spoke highly of Obama, claiming there were no scandals during his time in office. He didn’t mention incidents like Benghazi, Operation Fast and Furious, or the IRS scandal.
“I felt it was the greatest it had ever been,” Clark said. “For eight years, President Obama represented us with class and grace. There were no impeachments, no felony charges, no indictments. None of these things that were unbecoming of the office.”
Clark sharply criticized Trump’s campaign. “We elected someone that ran a campaign based in bigotry and hate,” he said. “For those four years, it wasn’t great.”
Looking back at 2016, Clark remembered Trump calling peaceful protesters “sons of b----es.” By 2020, Clark felt the country was more divided than ever, beyond just the pandemic.
Clark made it clear that while he wouldn’t respect Trump personally, he would respect the office of the presidency. "I won’t respect the man – and I don’t and I won’t,” Clark said. “But I will respect the office."
He expressed hope for unity. “I want to be a sane man in an insane society,” he said. “I want to be a reasonable man in an unreasonable world. I won’t be divisive. But I do hope, for all of our sakes, he understands that he’s our president.”