Former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill has ripped into Nick Bosa after the NFL star refused to explain his decision to wear a ‘MAGA’ hat in support of Donald Trump this week.
After helping the San Francisco 49ers claim victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, Bosa crashed teammates Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Isaac Guerendo’s post-game interview with NBC to point to his ‘Make America Great Again’ cap ahead of next week’s election.
The 49ers defensive end sparked controversy by endorsing Trump on live television, with some of the team’s fans even taking aim at him on social media.
When asked about his decision to wear the hat, Bosa remained tight-lipped and refused to expand on why he did so.
‘I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time,’ he said on the podium with a different cap on his head.
Nick Bosa (center) has been labeled ‘gutless’ after refusing to explain why he wore a MAGA hat
After his coy response, Bosa has received heavy criticism from ex-TV host Hill, who branded him gutless on social media while heaping praise on basketball legend LeBron James.
Earlier this week LeBron endorsed Kamala Harris by sharing a controversial anti-Trump video on social media, and when quizzed on it by reporters he elaborated on his political stance on Friday night.
Hill, who sparked outrage by referring to Trump as a ‘white supremacist’ in 2017, quoted a clip of his explanation and wrote on X: ‘Oh look, LeBron was asked about a public political statement that he made and he explained IN DETAIL why he did it. Nick Bosa doesn’t have the guts to do this.’
Bosa has been an outspoken supporter of Trump in the past – sharing content endorsing the former president before he was picked second overall by the 49ers in 2019.
He was chosen much to the ire of San Francisco’s more liberal fans in the Bay Area, where Harris hails from.
Some 49ers fans reacted with fury over their decision to draft Bosa five years ago due to his reputation as a Trump supporter and his history of ‘insensitive’ posts on social media.
Bosa remained tight-lipped after gatecrashing an interview wearing a pro-Trump cap
Ex-ESPN anchor Jemele Hill claimed LeBron James showed the NFL star how it should be done
Hill sparked outrage with a series of posts referring to Trump as a ‘white supremacist’ in 2017
The NFL will reportedly not suspend Bosa over his decision to wear a pro-Trump hat during a post-game interview.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the 27-year-old won’t face a ban over the move – though he could be fined.
That decision will reportedly not be made until later next week, after the presidential election on Tuesday.
Jones also noted that the NFL does have a rule that prohibits players from displaying messages ‘which relate to political activities or causes.’
Notably, Bosa changed out of his MAGA cap for his postgame press conference and declined to speak much about his decision to wear it when pressed by a reporter.
