Giants' Abdul Carter felt the need to call out Jaxson Dart to show he is against Donald Trump

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Abdul Carter embraced Jaxson Dart after the New York Giants quarterback read a statement about his decision to introduce President Donald Trump at a rally last week. Then the young linebacker offered a rebuke of his teammate.

Carter called the situation “bigger than football" and explained he felt the need to call out Dart publicly for the decision.

“He not only represents himself and what he does, but he represents all of us and that goes for anybody who wears a Giants uniform,” Carter said Friday after an offseason workout practice. "If he chooses to align himself with a man like President Trump, it’s my responsibility based on what I believe and what I stand on to not only show my teammates that I’m against that — but to show the world.”

Carter took to social media on Saturday to criticize his teammate after realizing a video of Dart on stage with Trump was real. Hours later, Carter said he and Dart spoke and were fine. Those posts have since been deleted.

“It doesn’t mean that me and Jaxson hate each other or we have beef,” Carter said. "I sit next to Jaxson every day, every team meeting. We’re close. We talk. As long as we make sure we’ve got the same goal as a team and our goals align, which they do, then I feel like that’s all that matters.”

Trump has targeted the diversity, equity and inclusion programs that helped many Black Americans find jobs in both the federal government and a variety of private industries. He has called DEI programs “discrimination,” and he has pushed to eradicate them from the government and put pressure on the private sector to do the same.

Earlier this year, he posted and then deleted a racist video on social media that depicted former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle.

Dart in his 562-word statement never invoked Trump's name and said he valued the office of the president. Dart called it “a unique opportunity, being asked and given the opportunity to introduce the president of the United States.”

Asked if he understood why the situation might bother teammates and if he thought he made a mistake, Dart referred back to his statement. Carter said Dart did not apologize for being at Trump's event.

“I don’t want him to say he’s sorry,” Carter said. “Stand on what you believe in. But it can’t be a problem when I stand on what I believe in. That’s all that matters to me. As long as we have that understanding, it’s all good.”

Dart said he addressed the situation with teammates, including Carter, as part of “honest conversations” over the past week. That included a meeting at the Giants' facility Tuesday when Carter was not present, as well as a conversation Saturday between the two players going into their second NFL season.

“We just talked," Dart said of Carter, who was also drafted in the first round last year. “Me and him are one of the closer guys on the team with each other. We’ve had a lot of conversation, and he’s my brother. I know that I’m a brother to him.”

Coach John Harbaugh and veteran backup quarterback Jameis Winston attempted to put a positive spin on going through the situation at a tense time in the U.S.

“We’ve got a blond-haired, blue-eyed white kid and a Black Muslim religion, Black kid, who are coming together and showing y’all, showing the world that we can come together,” said Winston, who is also Black. “I think this is an excellent opportunity for those two young men to realize what they represent, the platform that they have, and how they’re going to go about navigating that and standing on what they both believe in.”

Harbaugh, who has expressed support for Trump over the years, said he had no concerns about a rift in the locker room and said “it’s not going to affect what kind of football team we are.” He deferred to players about what kind of guidelines they want to set.

“I think it’s made us better, honestly,” Harbaugh said. “I’m kind of grateful for the opportunity that we had to have the conversation. But if you do things the right way, you confront everything all the time that have to do with your football team and your ability to be successful, and that was something to confront and talk about. Rather than ignore it or rather than dictate something, let’s just talk about it."

Receiver/return specialist Gunner Olszewski went down with a noncontact injury grabbing at his right leg late in practice, and teammates went down on one knee while he received medical attention. Olszewski was put on a cart and driven off the field, and it did not look good.

“We’ll find out what the situation is with that,” Harbaugh said. “That was a noncontact change-of-direction kind of a deal there in the grass, so that was disappointing.”

No. 5 pick Arvell Reese, a linebacker out of Ohio State, signed his rookie contract on Friday, becoming the final member of the draft class to do so. No. 10 pick Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa signed earlier this week.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduces President Donald Trump at Rockland Community College, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Suffern, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter (51) walks on the field before the team's NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

NFL quarterback Jaxson Dart, with the New York Giants, left, introduces President Donald Trump during a Fighting For American Workers event, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Suffern, N.Y. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

NFL quarterback Jaxson Dart, with the New York Giants, left, introduces President Donald Trump during a Fighting For American Workers event, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Suffern, N.Y. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

New York Giants' Abdul Carter, right, and Trace Ford participate in a drill during NFL football practice in East Rutherford, N.J., Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

President Donald Trump shakes hands with New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as he arrives to speak at Rockland Community College, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Suffern, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Five people were arrested Friday and other protesters moved away from the site of a proposed main stadium for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics which has become the center point over the future of a heritage-listed park in the city.

The dispute centers around Victoria Park, the site of the proposed 3.6 billion Australian dollar ($2.6 billion) Brisbane Olympics main stadium.

The five people were taken into custody for obstructing and assaulting police officers, a police spokesperson said, adding that one of those arrested was later released without charge.

“Queensland Police Service officers are supporting partner agencies as they undertake engagement, offers of support services and compliance action, if necessary, with a focus on maintaining community safety and ensuring the safety of all involved,” the spokesperson said.

Yagara Indigenous elder Gaja Kerry Charlton estimated up to 50 police arrived at the site, as well as Brisbane city council staff.

“They all came up to my little camp, where we had about 20 tents, and they just started dismantling them and taking them away,” Charlton told Australian Associated Press. “We were just getting ready to go for lunch and then we got the phone call that the police were all arriving.”

Ownership of the land is set to be transferred to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority on Monday. Fences are being erected around the site in preparation, with the Queensland government adamant that construction will proceed immediately.

The government exempted Victoria Park from heritage, environmental and planning laws in 2025, and has converted it to freehold land. However, Charlton has challenged the development and the application is under review.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

A protestor stands near a line of police as a camp site is dismantled at the construction site of the Brisbane Olympics Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, May 29, 2026. (Darren England/AAP Image via AP)

Protestors stand near a line of police as a camp site is dismantled at the construction site of the Brisbane Olympics Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, May 29, 2026. (Darren England/AAP Image via AP)

FILE - IOC President Kirsty Coventry speaks during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Yves Herman/Pool Photo via AP, file)