MANCHESTER, N.H. — On the eve of Election Day, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump took to the stage at a rally in the heart of the Granite State and made an announcement sure to send a vast chunk of New England sports fans into a fit, telling the crowd he had received “the most beautiful” letter of endorsement from Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick, according to Trump, wrote to the Manhattan real estate mogul to praise him for dealing with an “unbelievable slanted and negative media” and for “coming out beautifully” from his rough-and-tumble campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Trump read the letter aloud:
Here’s video of Trump telling New Hampshire crowd that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick informed him of their endorsements today pic.twitter.com/bKirbktp3T
“You have proven to be the ultimate competitor fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you for the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow’s election, the results will give the opportunity to make America great again.
Best wishes for great results tomorrow,
Bill Belichick.”
Various pundits immediately question the veracity of the letter:
Belichick known for being a quiet supporter of D pols and liberal causes. I smell an orange-maned rat behind that letter.
Bill Belichick has never used the word “tremendous” in his natural born life. I think he described last SB victory as “not an awful feeling” https://t.co/SQCgJnt4c0
Trump’s additional claim that star Patriots quarterback Tom Brady called to tell the reality television star he voted for him is still in doubt, however.
“Tom Brady, great guy, great guy, great friend of mine, great great champion, unbelievable winner. He called today and he said Donald, I support you,” Trump told the crowd, apparently quoting Brady. “You’re my friend and I voted for you.”
The Boston Globe reported that Brady submitted his absentee ballot on Monday:
Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, disputed Trump’s claim via her Instagram social media page, offering an emphatic “NO!” when asked whether she and her husband are supporting Trump:
The stew of confusion thickened when regular listeners of Brady’s weekly Monday morning call-in to the sports radio station WEEI pointed out that the quarterback said he had not voted yet, although it was later confirmed by the Globe that Brady in fact voted immediately after wrapping up his weekly segment:
Tom Brady did indeed vote in Brookline yesterday after his paid appearance on WEEI in the morning during which he said he hadn’t yet #wcvbpic.twitter.com/m3Ss5eI3Wv
(Charles Krupa — Associated Press) 
