Donald Trump did actually talk to Robert Saleh.
The Jets coach confirmed Monday he received a congratulatory call from the former president after Gang Green’s wild comeback win over the Browns in Week 2.
“Love him or hate him — and I’m not a politician, I’m a football coach — taking a call from a current or former president is pretty cool,” Saleh said during an appearance on ESPN Radio New York’s “The Michael Kay Show.”
“It was surprising. If you would have told 20-year-old me that one day I would get a call from a president of the United States congratulating us on a win as an NFL head coach … it’s pretty surreal.”
Saleh said he was not expecting the call. He picked up when Trump called because he thought he was getting a call from Jets owner Woody Johnson based on the number. He said he and Trump spoke for a few minutes.
Trump regaled a rally crowd with a recap of the Jets’ epic rally last Friday night in Wilmington, North Carolina. He called the win “the craziest thing I’ve ever seen” and said he called Saleh to congratulate him.
“And I said, ‘Coach, you’re greater than Vince Lombardi,’” Trump said. “Because Vince Lombardi never did that. He was never able to pull out a game like that. … The game was done. It was over.”
Trump then said Johnson and his wife, Suzanne, were in attendance. Trump pointed to the couple off stage, but the camera fixed on the dais did not pan out to show them. Johnson served in the Trump administration as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom (where he was investigated for racist and sexist comments). He was also a top donor and fundraiser for Trump during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch.
