Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is under fire after attending a rally for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, where he sported an offensive T-shirt targeting Vice President Kamala Harris. The shirt, which featured images of Trump and Harris with the caption “Trump or the Tramp,” quickly ignited outrage on social media, sparking accusations of misogyny and disrespect toward Black women.
The rally, held on October 19 at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, saw Bell attending alongside another former Steelers player, Antonio Brown, who delivered a speech endorsing Trump. While Bell’s only verbal contribution to the event was a brief cheer for Trump, the shirt he wore—and later proudly posted on social media—became the focal point of the controversy.
As the image of Bell wearing the shirt circulated online, many were quick to condemn his actions. Critics accused him of engaging in self-hating behavior and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. One X user blasted Bell for disrespecting Harris, writing, “You wanna support Trump. Go ahead. That’s your right. But you can support him without disrespecting a Black woman and calling her out her name.”
Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state representative and CNN political commentator, also weighed in, expressing disappointment in Bell’s actions. “Support who you want,” Sellers tweeted, “But a Black woman birthed you and your disrespect is crazy…. you’re a whole clown.” He joined a chorus of voices calling out the NFL star for what they saw as an egregious display of sexism and self-hate.
Other commenters pointed to Bell’s personal life as fodder for criticism, noting the irony of him labeling Harris a “tramp” while reportedly having multiple children with different women. One user responded, “You and Donald Trump have MAKING BABIES in common because he has 5 by 3 different women, but you have 7 by 6 so who’s actually the TRAMP?” The harsh words reflected a broader sense of frustration with Bell’s public persona and his political choices.
In addition to the backlash over the T-shirt, Bell shared photos and videos from the event on social media, including a post showing him posing with Trump. The responses to these posts were equally scathing, with followers calling him a “sellout” and questioning his judgment. Some even speculated that Bell’s behavior could be attributed to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition linked to head injuries in football players.
While Bell remained largely silent during the rally, Brown took center stage, leading the crowd in a Steelers chant before launching into a tirade against Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Brown’s comments, including a bizarre claim that Walz and Harris want to “put tampons in the boys’ bathroom,” further fueled the rally’s inflammatory rhetoric.
The appearance of Bell and Brown at the rally—and their association with Trump—has left a bitter taste for many fans, who are now questioning the athletes’ political affiliations and public behavior. Despite the controversy, Bell has shown no signs of walking back his endorsement of the former president, even as criticism continues to mount across social media platforms.
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