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Boston Globe

Breaking from his father, Josh Kraft criticizes Trump as having ‘stoked hatred and division'

Kraft, son of New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, has been tied to his father's connections to Trump during his campaign. Robert Kraft and Trump have a long history. In 2017, Kraft told the Globe that the two have 'been friends for years' and that during 'the worst time in my dad's life, [Trump] was there for him.' Advertisement Scrutiny over Robert Kraft's friendship with Trump increased after the Globe reported the After the meeting, Josh Kraft received campaign donations from four of the top attorneys at the firm, including its chairman, Brad Karp. At the time, a spokesperson for The Kraft Group denied any coordination between parties for the donation to the campaign. Advertisement Kraft said he is ready to deal with the consequences of the Trump presidency if he is elected mayor, amid 'a mountain of federal budget cuts along with a billion dollar tax credit shortfall.' He also spoke about Mayor Michelle Wu's criticism of his family's relationship with Trump. 'Michelle Wu wants to talk about me, I want to talk about all of you,' Kraft said. Wu could not be immediately reached for comment. Kraft also spoke out against Wu's handling of the Boston housing crisis, the White Stadium renovation, and the city's homelessness problem, saying, 'addiction does not discriminate.' Regarding housing, Kraft said his campaign promises to jump-start construction, implement ' 'Boston is going to be a place where families and young people have to leave the city, and only the wealthy can afford to live here,' Kraft said. Kraft also criticized Wu's comments about 'She's desperate to distract the voters from a record of broken and failed campaign promises and the failures of her policy plans, especially making it easier for the middle class to afford to live in the city of Boston,' Kraft said. Kraft said he proposes a plan to place White Stadium, located in Franklin Park, back in the hands of Boston Public Schools students and athletes. He previously criticized Mayor Wu for not disclosing the Advertisement The renovations, which were subject to lawsuits over alleged During the press conference, Kraft dismissed comments about Super PAC tax exemptions. Super PACs are not limited in their campaign contributions, and can donate more than the $1,000 limit. The Your City Your Future Super PAC that supports Kraft has donated more than $3 million to his campaign. He also did not discuss his tax returns, which his campaign promised to release before the preliminary vote on Sept. 9. His campaign revealed last week he earned $6.3 million in 2024 but declined to break down the sources of Kraft's income. Wu and others have criticized Kraft for his lack of income transparency and the possibility of conflicts of interest in his mayoral campaign. Kraft has already personally contributed $2 million to his campaign. Mayoral candidates are not required to release their tax returns, but it has become common practice to do so. Wu said she has disclosed her finances for the last 12 years. If elected, Kraft said he would not be involved with his family business to avoid conflicts of interest. Critics, including Wu, flagged The Kraft Group's proposed soccer stadium in Everett, to which The Kraft Group proposed mitigation payments of $750,000. Kraft served as the head of the family charity, the New England Patriot Charitable Foundation. The nonprofit reported that Kraft was not paid a salary for his role, but a spokesperson from the campaign said Advertisement Kraft was also the head of the Boston Boys and Girls Club for more than a decade, where he earned $350,000 in 2020, the year he stepped down from his leadership role. Maria Probert can be reached at