In a surreal intersection of politics and sports, President Donald Trump is claiming partial credit for the Cleveland Browns drafting quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The assertion came from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who addressed the topic during a media briefing on Saturday.
When asked if President Trump believes he deserves credit for Sanders’ selection and whether he thought landing with the Browns was better than going undrafted, Leavitt pointed directly to the timeline of events.
“All I will say is the President put out a statement, and a few rounds later, he was drafted,” Leavitt said. “So I think the facts speak for themselves.”
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Trump’s comment stems from a post he made late Friday night. In it, he criticized the NFL and suggested that Sanders, son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, had been wrongly overlooked during the early rounds of the 2025 NFL draft.
Within 24 hours, Sanders was selected by the Browns in the fifth round with the 144th pick, after Cleveland traded up to secure him.
Many analysts had projected Sanders as a Day 2 prospect, but concerns about his pocket awareness, sack tendencies and pre-draft interviews contributed to his slide.
Despite the fall, he brings impressive credentials to the NFL, including setting Colorado’s single-season passing yards record with 4,134 yards during the 2024 college season.
Donald Trump’s influence claim sparks reactions
The President’s suggestion that his words played a role in Sanders’ draft outcome quickly drew mixed reactions across social media and traditional news outlets.
While some of Trump’s supporters praised him for standing up for Sanders, critics pointed out the highly structured nature of NFL scouting and draft processes. They emphasized that team selections are typically based on years of evaluation rather than real-time public commentary.
Landing with the Browns puts Sanders behind established starter Deshaun Watson on the depth chart, but he will have an opportunity to develop in Cleveland’s quarterback room.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry praised Sanders’ leadership traits and arm talent during their post-draft news conferences. They noted that he was a player they had been monitoring long before the draft.
As for Trump, his unexpected entry into the NFL draft conversation further fueled an already polarizing atmosphere surrounding sports and politics in 2025.
Whether or not his comments had any real effect on Sanders’ draft stock remains speculative, but the President’s team appears more than willing to take a symbolic victory.
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Edited by Akshay Saraswat
