Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has defended his recent White House visit with President Donald Trump, after a reporter criticized the framing of the question during a media availability session at the Ravens’ training camp. Harbaugh, along with his brother Jim Harbaugh and other family members, was invited to the White House several months ago, and the coach expressed appreciation for the experience.
During the media session, a reporter framed the question around Trump’s previous comments criticizing Baltimore as a city. Harbaugh criticized the reporter for the framing of the question, insisting that he “roots” for the president. “How you framed that question — I would have framed that question like: ‘You got a chance to go visit with the president, man. What was that experience like?’” Harbaugh 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, and it was an amazing experience. It’s not often you get invited, and you get a chance to do something like that as a family.”
Harbaugh also recounted his and his brother’s experiences meeting former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Ronald Reagan, highlighting the significance of these encounters. “And that’s the fourth president [I’ve met]. Now, Jim has met seven [presidents]. Jim has met seven presidents, so he’s got the lead on me. I think he pointed that out; did you guys notice that? He’s got seven; I’ve got four. So, I had a chance to meet President [Barack] Obama twice. Incredible experience. I had a chance to meet President [Joe] Biden when he was vice president in Iraq, and I spent a lot of time with him in Iraq, which was amazing. And then [when I was] 24 or 25 years old, Jim got invited to the White House to meet President [Ronald] Reagan because he was a Heisman Trophy candidate, and we got to go as a family, so I met President Reagan. I have a picture in my office of that. So those are moments that I definitely cherish, and it means a lot.”
Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh spoke positively of the visit during a press conference last Wednesday. “There’s a lot of gratitude there to be invited to the White House to meet the president with my family, my mom and dad. President Trump was just great to my mom and dad. That meant so much. My brother John; his daughter Allison; my two daughters, Addie and Katie; and my sister Joanie; and my niece Ainsley. So, there’s nine of us, and it was great,” the Chargers coach said. “I mean, who gets invited to the White House with eight other family members and doesn’t go? Nobody.”