Fans tear Brady to shreds for apparent Trump vote

The strangest US presidential election in recent memory had yet another strange moment on Tuesday in New Hampshire when Republican candidate Donald Trump told the crowd that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had voted for him.

Trump also read a letter he said was from Patriots coach Bill Belichick in which Belichick praised Trump's leadership, among other things.

Of course, many were dubious. The letter said things like, "You have dealt with an unbelievable and slanted media and have come out beautifully. You've proven to be the ultimate fighter"?

But apparently, he did.

Two reporters in Boston, Tom Curran of CSN New England and Steve Burton of WBZ-TV, tweeted Wednesday morning that Belichick wrote a letter to Trump and that the words Trump read aloud were his words.

A third reporter, Dave Zirin of The Nation, indicated that Belichick intended for the note to be between only himself and Trump:

As for Brady, his wife Gisele Bundchen implied to a fan that neither she nor Brady would vote for Trump.

Asked on Instagram if it is true that the pair supported the Republican candidate, Bundchen – who rarely responds to Instagram comments – replied with an emphatic, "NO!"

While Brady told radio station WEEI on Tuesday that he hadn't voted yet, he did vote later, submitting an absentee ballot in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he lives.

If you ever again wonder why celebrities don't speak up more about their political opinions, Brady's Facebook page right now is an object lesson in why.

Angry anti-Trump fans took to Facebook and attacked a sweet little photo of Brady on Halloween with exactly the kind of thoughtful, respectful restraint for which Facebook is so well known:

• "Hey Tom, I hope you cough on a fart. You just endorsed a racist and misogynist, dumbass."

• "Fan no more, Trump supporter. Your wife is great but you SUCK"

• "Tom Brady you disgust me!!! I hope you get tackled by the biggest black men on the line. You bigot!"

• "I grew up your biggest fan. I have a picture you signed for me still hanging in my college room. I am ashamed and embarrassed for you if the the Trump comments are true. I thought you were a better human being that that."

• "Your choice makes it impossible for me to cheer for you, guess you don't care but it hurts me a lot."

• "You broke my heart voting for Trump. Yes, you still are a great quarterback that does not change but I also thought you were a thoughtful, kind man. Reality, it's just football after all."

• "Donald Trump openly mocked a reporter with disabilities at a rally. Remember, Tom? How can you morally reconcile this with your supposed support of the Best Buddies charity?"

• "What's more racist than supporting Trump? Hope the white supremacists at the top of the Patriots don't infect the dressing room"

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