Spill of the Hill: Robert Kraft may not be over Donald Trump
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🫖 Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is reportedly back in touch with President Trump after claiming to have ceased communications with his former friend after Jan. 6, 2021.
Why it matters: The personal connection between Trump and Kraft, the third-richest person in Massachusetts, has been of interest in Trump-skeptical Massachusetts.
- The billionaire bromance is also something of a dilemma for Kraft's son, Josh, as the Boston mayoral candidate tries to build a political brand in the deep blue capital.
Behind the scenes: The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported last month that the Pats' owner assisted Brad Karp, the chairman of law firm Paul, Weiss, in brokering a deal with Trump to keep the White House from targeting his firm.
- "Karp had Robert Kraft, a longtime client, reach out to Trump," the Journal reported.
- The Times called Kraft "an ally of Mr. Trump's" who contacted the president on Karp's behalf.
Catch up quick: It was widely reported that Kraft cut ties with Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
- "I was very upset [with] what happened January 6," Kraft said during an interview with The Breakfast Club last October, "and I haven't talked to him since then."
Josh Kraft's campaign says the candidate loves his father and agrees with him on many things, but that Trump isn't one of them.
- "Josh believes [Trump] does not have the character, judgment, or temperament to be president. Josh voted for Kamala Harris and was disappointed that she lost," campaign spokesperson Eileen O'Connor told Axios.
Representatives for Robert Kraft and the Patriots wouldn't respond to Axios' requests for comment on the current status of Kraft's relationship with Trump.