Steelers' Miles Killebrew responds to President Trump rally backlash: 'I'm not apologetic'
Steelers' Miles Killebrew responds to President Trump rally backlash: 'I'm not apologetic'
Steelers fans have taken aim at Miles Killebrew and others over their attendance at President Donald Trump's rally in Pittsburgh — and he recently responded to the backlash.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught up with Killebrew at OTAs and asked what he'd say to anyone bothered by his appearance at the rally. Here was Killebrew's response:
"Me and my friends growing up, we either wanted to be president or get a chance to meet him,' Killebrew said. '[Friday] I got the chance to meet the sitting U.S. president. I'm not apologetic about that.
'I'll be able to sit down with my kids when they're learning about the president and say, 'Hey, Dad met that guy.' For anybody who thinks that's a bad thing, to be honest, I couldn't care less.'
Mason Rudolph also downplayed Steelers fan backlash over his attendance at Trump's rally — claiming that everyone is entitled to their opinion because "speech is free."
The Steelers organization attempted to appease angry fans by email — reassuring them that the views of current and former players do not reflect the views of the team.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Young horse kept in dark, cramped pen his whole life runs laps with joyful abandon after he's freed: video
He got his thunder back. A heartwarming video shows the elated moment a young stallion who had spent most of his short, miserable life in a cramped pen in Florida tastes freedom for the first time. The horse named Thunder was rescued Sunday from horrific and neglectful conditions at a farm in Lake Wales, about 60 miles east of Tampa. Advertisement 5 Thunder runs around his pen after being released from the miserable, cramped pen he was confined to. Polk County Sheriff's Office Officers from the Polk County Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit took him and brought him to an open stable and pasture, where the clip was filmed. In the footage, Thunder zooms around the fenced-in area, doing laps and happily prancing from one corner to the other. Advertisement The 2-year-old Paso Fino leaps in the air and scampers and sprints in excited circles in the open pasture at the ranch where he is being rehabilitated by authorities, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 'This is his first time ever experiencing a pasture and being able to run free (well somewhat free) and he is loving it,' the Polk County Sheriff's Office wrote in a June 3 Facebook post. 'He was kept in a very small stall in a dark barn and never turned out to pasture.' Thunder was seized by law enforcement as part of a sweeping animal cruelty investigation after cops received a tip that two horses were starving at the farm, according to a press release. 5 The 2-year-old Paso Fino leaps in the air and scampers and sprints in excited circles in the open pasture at the ranch where he is being rehabilitated by authorities. Polk County Sheriff's Office Advertisement Investigators found Thunder and another horse living in abject squalor. 'One was extremely skinny, with its rib and hip bones visible; another was laying on the ground in its own feces, unable to lift its head, and barely breathing,' the sheriff's office said in the press release. 'This horse succumbed to its severe neglect and was deceased by the time detectives arrived.' Thunder and the dead horse were living in wretched conditions along with seven other horses, 11 goats and two sheep. The animals and humans, some children, were living together amid rotting garbage, scrap metal, discarded tires, swarms of flies and broken appliances scattered around the property, according to the release. Advertisement 'Detectives also located a trough filled with a mixture of antifreeze and gasoline, leaking into water that the animals were then drinking,' according to the sheriff's office. 5 Thunder and the dead horse were living in wretched conditions along with seven other horses, 11 goats and two sheep. Polk County Sheriff's Office 5 In the footage, Thunder zooms around the fenced-in area, doing laps and happily prancing from one corner to the other. Polk County Sheriff's Office The owner of the farm, Joemanuel Nunez-Suarez, 40, told detectives that he was taking care of the animals for a friend and that they were too expensive to feed. He said he told the friend to collect the animals months ago but the friend ignored him, according to the press release. Nunez-Suarez was charged with felony animal cruelty and three counts of confining animals without proper food, care, and sustenance. Barbara Suarez, Thunder's owner, was charged with animal neglect and resisting arrest. Jorge Almeida Rodriguez and Idanys Queveto were charged with environmental crimes; Hennycha Rosa Rosa was charged with resisting arrest. Advertisement 5 Nunez-Suarez was charged with felony animal cruelty and three counts of confining animals without proper food, care, and sustenance. Polk County Sheriff's Office Sheriff Grady Judd said happy endings like Thunder's are only possible with the help of a vigilant public who reports animal cruelty to the proper authorities. 'It's a shame we were unable to save one of the abused horses,' Judd said. 'But we will make it our mission to rehabilitate all of the animals that were subjected to this filth and neglect, and ensure these suspects are never again allowed to own animals.'
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Steelers' Super Bowl odds improve with Aaron Rodgers coming
The Pittsburgh Steelers' futures were adjusted by many sportsbooks with Thursday's news that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has agreed to a one-year contract. While speculation has been rampant throughout the offseason that the four-time league MVP would ultimately play a 21st NFL season with the Steelers, there was still a chance Rodgers would sign elsewhere or retire. Circa Sports told Field Level Media that Pittsburgh's Super Bowl odds at the book shortened from +600 to +500 following Thursday's news, while the Steelers' odds of winning the AFC shifted from +2600 to +1800. At DraftKings, the Steelers are now being offered at +4000 to win the Super Bowl, +2000 to win the AFC and +550 to win the AFC North. Their over/under win total is 8.5 games Rodgers, 41, reportedly plans to fly to Pittsburgh to sign the contract and intends to participate in the Steelers' mandatory minicamp next week. The Steelers were the NFL team in greatest need of a quarterback and open the 2025 season against Rodgers' former team at the New York Jets on Sept. 7. Rodgers will likely start opposite Pittsburgh's Week 1 starter last season, Justin Fields, who joined the Jets in free agency. Before Rodgers' long-expected agreement, Mason Rudolph was the presumed starter for the Steelers. Rudolph returned to the Steelers after one season with the Tennessee Titans. Pittsburgh moved on from Russell Wilson, who replaced Fields seven games into the 2024 regular season, who is also projected to start in New York as a member of the Giants. Rodgers comes to Pittsburgh after two disappointing seasons with the Jets. He suffered a season-ending torn Achilles on the fourth play of the 2023 season, his first with Gang Green; the Jets then went 5-12 behind Rodgers in 2024, causing the franchise to clean house. The 10-time Pro Bowler who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2011 had also been linked to Green Bay's division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, who instead will move forward with J.J. McCarthy under center. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
4 takeaways from the Steelers signing of Aaron Rodgers
After a long wait, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally have their quarterback. According to multiple reports, Aaron Rodgers is headed to Pittsburgh and will sign his contract in time to get started with the team at their mandatory minicamp next week. This has been a long time coming even if we all assumed this was how it would go. Here are our big takeaways from the pending signing. Aaron Rodgers will be welcomed with open arms I know there has been some grumbling and some players have made off-hand comments here and there about Rodgers dragging this out. But make no mistake, Rodgers will be welcomed by every player on the roster when he shows up because they know the NFL is a business and they know Rodgers can play. The NFL was banking Rodgers signing with the Steelers All you have to do is look at the Steelers schedule and you know there was nothing random about how things played out. Pittsburgh is running a crazy gauntlet of games aimed at either former Steelers quarterbacks playing the Steelers or Rodgers against his old teams, and that isn't an accident. Rodgers signing won't change a thing about the 2026 NFL draft I know there will be plenty of fans who don't like this addition because they think this addition will make the Steelers just good enough to end up with a lower draft pick and not be abel to secure a top quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft. This won't be an issue. If the Steelers are set on a particular quarterback next year, they have the draft capital to move up and get them and Rodgers will be gone. Rodgers makes the team better If you ask most fans, they were not looking forward to watching Mason Rudolph start 17 games this season because the team isn't good with Rudolph at quarterback. Rodgers might not make the Steelers a Super Bowl contender or even that much better in terms of overall record. But it will be more watchable, competitive football.
