It’s been a testy few days for the New York Giants. Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart have reportedly hugged it out after the quarterback’s ill-timed decision to show his support for Donald Trump. But the ice is yet to thaw out between the two, as Carter has no plans to ever be on the same page as his quarterback.

“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 teammate that I’m against that, but to show the world,” Carter said in a press conference on May 29.

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

Carter and Dart were drafted in 2025, which means that these two have a relationship that’s much more meaningful to the ones they have with player older and younger than them. The linebacker added that he sits right next to the QB in team meetings, and they talk. The one thing that they remain focused on is that their goals align as a team. But he doesn’t want things to get complicated, given Dart’s position. 

“Some things are bigger than football and this is one of those things,” Carter told the media following the Giants’ OTAs. “Jaxson is one of our leaders. He’s the face of our franchise. He not only represents himself in what he does, but he represents all of us. And that goes for anybody who wears a Giants uniform.” 

Carter was appalled when he saw the clips of Dart introducing Donald Trump at a rally for Rep. Mike Lawler. He took to social media and claimed that those visuals must be AI-generated; It was that unbelievable for him. By that time, Dart had become the butt of jokes, and was heavily scrutinized for being involved in such situations as an active player.

“Was it pretty stupid, given the reaction it will cause to his other brothers that are humans and have human emotions?” Emmanuel Acho said on X. “Absolutely, I don’t think it was wise.”

Dart is part of the reason why the Giants are a much-talked about team. He shot to the limelight after a brilliant rookie season, despite being a very late pick in the 2025 draft. And with the team beginning a new chapter with Harbaugh, Dart has the added responsibility of carrying the team on his shoulders. But he is still firm on his stance.

“My thinking was pretty simple,” Dart told the media. “I’ve always loved this country. I have extended family members who have fought in the wars. I have two uncles who have retired from the Air Force Academy and have served themselves and I even have a great-grandfather who served as the secretary of the treasury at some point. So, the president position has always been a position that I’ve well respected regardless of political affiliation, regardless of political party and my intentions were just that.” 

Even though the two player remain ideologically at odds with each other, Dart still holds Carter in high regards.

Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter are prioritizing on teamwork

“You know, me and him are one of the closer guys on the team with each other,” Dart said. “So, you know, we’ve had a lot of conversations. And he’s my brother, I know that I’m a brother to him, and, at the end of the day, we want to be the best people and players for each other.”

Their relationship seemed to be stable. After Dart spoke and moved past Carter to allow him his turn, the two “brothers” embraced each other to drive home the idea that teamwork is the main priority now.

“Really, the important thing to understand is that what we are is a collection of all of us together,” head coach John Harbaugh noted. “And so, we need to understand really how we want to approach these things going forward.” 

Carter also claimed that he has no beef with Dart despite what happened. Even offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor dismissed the rumors about locker room unrest. Dart held a team meeting after his appearance in the rally, and the players established among themselves on how they wanted to go along with the off-field aspects like this. Harbaugh seemed pretty impressed in how the Giants carried themselves and moved forward despite disagreements. 

Fellow teammate and veteran QB Jameis Watson also lauded the rapport between both players, and deeming this backlash as people trying to  “poke and pry at these young men.” They know that the main goal should be to have each other’s backs now, if they want to survive the heat of the season.