Trump Responds to Friend Robert Kraft Being Charged with Soliciting Prostitution
The sports world is still reeling after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with soliciting prostitutes as part of a sting operation targeting a human trafficking ring.
According to Boston.com, Kraft was one of 25 individuals who were charged with soliciting prostitution in Jupiter, Florida, at a spa that is being linked to human trafficking.
Given Kraft’s generally good reputation, it was a surprise to many for one of the NFL’s premier owners to get swept up in such a sordid scandal.
Chief among those that were surprised? Kraft’s good friend Donald Trump.
The president didn’t delve too far into the topic, which is unsurprising given that an investigation is still ongoing and Kraft has denied he did anything illegal.
Statement from a spokesperson for Patriots owner Robert Kraft: “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”
— Jill Martin (@ByJillMartin) February 22, 2019
But when broaching the topic, Trump still expressed dismay over the news.
“Well, it’s very sad,” the president said. “I was very surprised to see it.”
#BREAKING: President Trump comments on the charges against Patriots owner Robert Kraft pic.twitter.com/q9rZjuGMjh
— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) February 22, 2019
Trump did make it a point to acknowledge Kraft’s denial.
“He’s proclaimed his innocence totally, and I was very surprised to see it,” he said.
Despite Kraft’s denial, Jupiter police say they have video evidence of the Patriots owner involved in sex acts.
Trump, who usually has no problem speaking his mind, was decidedly terse when discussing Kraft’s scandal. That’s likely because Kraft has a longtime friendship with the Trumps.
Kraft has gone on record describing how Trump was there for him when wife Myra Kraft died in 2011. Robert and Myra had been married from 1963 until her death.
“When Myra died, Melania and Donald came up to the funeral in our synagogue, then they came for memorial week to visit with me,” Kraft told the New York Daily News in January 2017. “Then he called me once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out. He called me every week to see how I was doing, invited me to things, tried to lift my spirits. He was one of five or six people that were like that. I remember that.”
It’ll be interesting to see how this situation develops. Not only is Kraft’s fate still very much up in the air, but there are reports that he might not even be the biggest name involved in the Jupiter scandal.
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