Donald Trump says Tom Brady is voting for him. But is he really? | McClatchy Washington Bureau

Donald Trump has publicly slammed Hillary Clinton for her use of celebrites on the campaign trail to generate excitement. The Republican nominee says he didn’t need such support to draw huge crowds.

But if there’s one celebrity it seems as though Trump would make an exception for, it’s New England Patriots quarterback and NFL superstar Tom Brady.

On Monday, Trump told supporters in New Hampshire that Brady had called him to express his support. Tuesday morning, he repeated the claim, telling Fox News, “I got a call from Tom yesterday — just as a friend of mine — and he said: ‘Hey, I’m voting for you, man, and I’m with you.’ And I said, ‘You mind if I announce that?’ He said, ‘Nope, you can announce it.’ I said, ‘Great.’”

The only problem is, Brady hasn’t said he’s voting for Trump. In fact, he’s been pretty much silent on the presidential election. On the other hand, his wife, model Gisele Bündchen, emphatically told a supporter on Instagram that she and her husband were not supporting Trump.

The comment came Nov. 4, just days before the election. But despite Bündchen’s strong “NO” response, her husband’s relationship with Trump has been a bit more complicated.

Back in early September, reporters noticed that Brady had a red “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker.

When asked about it by WEEI, Brady confirmed that Trump himself had given him the hat and called Trump a “good friend.”

At the time, Brady stopped short of formally endorsing Trump, but he did praise the candidate, who he said he had met through a mutual interest in golf.

“It’s pretty amazing what he’s been able to accomplish as an entrepreneur, as a television star and now run for political office. People who can do those types of things and transition into different arenas and still have that type of appeal and carry-over. ... He’s obviously appealing to a lot of people,” Brady said. “He’s a hell of a lot of fun to play golf with.”

Trump has praised Brady in the past, siding with him in his dispute against the NFL over the “Deflategate” scandal and tweeting his congratulations after his success on the field.

Then, in early October, the bombshell recording to Trump bragging about sexually harassing and assaulting women was released by The Washington Post. At a press conference, a reporter asked Brady what he thought of what Trump described as “locker room talk.”

Brady did not respond and abruptly left the podium.

Meanwhile, CBS released a list of athletes who had donated to presidential campaigns, and Brady’s name was nowhere to be found among Trump’s supporters.

Brady told WEEI this weekend that he planned to vote Monday or Tuesday, but again declined to say who he was supporting. CBS Boston reported that Brady voted Monday but, again, declined to say who he had voted for. Politico reported that he will reveal his choice next week.