Ravens coach John Harbaugh defends White House meeting with Trump

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh defended his recent meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House when a reporter confronted the coach about it on Wednesday.

Harbaugh and several family members — including his brother, Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh — were invited to the White House earlier this month.

During his media availability at Ravens training camp on Wednesday, a reporter framed a question on the visit around Trump’s previous comments criticizing Baltimore as a city.

The Ravens coach criticized the reporter for the framing of the question and insisted that he “roots” for the president.

“How you framed that question — I would have framed that question like: ‘You got a chance to go visit with the president, man. What was that experience like?’” Harbaugh said. “It was amazing. It was awesome. And I promise you I root for our president. I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful, and I want my team to be successful, and it was an amazing experience. It’s not often you get invited, and you get a chance to do something like that as a family.”

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Harbaugh went on to recount his and his brother’s experiences meeting former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. 

“And that’s the fourth president [I’ve met]. Now, Jim has met seven [presidents]. Jim has met seven presidents, so he’s got the lead on me. I think he pointed that out; did you guys notice that? He’s got seven; I’ve got four. 

“So, I had a chance to meet President [Barack] Obama twice. Incredible experience. I had a chance to meet President [Joe] Biden when he was vice president in Iraq, and I spent a lot of time with him in Iraq, which was amazing. 

“And then [when I was] 24 or 25 years old, Jim got invited to the White House to meet President [Ronald] Reagan because he was a Heisman Trophy candidate, and we got to go as a family, so I met President Reagan. I have a picture in my office of that. So those are moments that I definitely cherish, and it means a lot.”

Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh spoke positively of the visit during a press conference last Wednesday. 

“There’s a lot of gratitude there to be invited to the White House to meet the president with my family, my mom and dad. President Trump was just great to my mom and dad. That meant so much. My brother John; his daughter Allison; my two daughters, Addie and Katie; and my sister Joanie; and my niece Ainsley. So, there’s nine of us, and it was great,” the Chargers coach said. 

“I mean, who gets invited to the White House with eight other family members and doesn’t go? Nobody.”

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