Less than a day after the Baltimore Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh, President Donald Trump spoke out in support of him.
“HIRE JOHN HARBAUGH, FAST,” Trump, 79, wrote via Truth Social on Wednesday, January 7. “HE, AND HIS BROTHER, ARE TOTAL WINNERS!!!”
Harbaugh, 63, was let go on Tuesday, January 6 after 18 years with the Ravens. In that time, he led the franchise to 180 wins and the Super Bowl XLVII championship in February 2014. (His brother, Jim Harbaugh, is currently the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach after he led the University of Michigan to the 2023 College Football Playoff championship.)
“Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today😊,” John said in a statement released by the Ravens on Tuesday. “It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION.”
He continued, “Gratitude to the owner and organization who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success. A difficult thing to do … and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity.”
The Ravens’ playoff hopes came to an end on Sunday, January 4 with a last-second loss on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since his firing, John has received interest from more than half a dozen other franchises, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Trump’s endorsement of the Harbaugh brothers comes after both have publicly defended the president multiple times in the past.
In July 2025, John criticized a reporter who asked him about visiting the White House despite harsh comments Trump has made about the city of Baltimore.
“How you framed that question — I would have framed that question like: ‘You got a chance to go visit with the president, man. What was that experience like?’” he said. “It was amazing. It was awesome. And I promise you I root for our president. I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful, and I want my team to be successful, and it was an amazing experience. It’s not often you get invited, and you get a chance to do something like that as a family.”
Jim, who was also on the visit, along with the rest of the Harbaugh family, came away with a similar sentiment.
“There’s a lot of gratitude there to be invited to the White House to meet the President with my family, my mom and dad,” he said, according to Fox News. “President Trump was just great to my mom and dad. That meant so much. My brother John, his daughter Alison, my two daughters, Addie and Katie, and my sister Joanie, and my niece Ainsley. So, there’s nine of us, and it was great.”
Both brothers have spoken positively about meeting with presidents from both parties, with Jim boasting that he has a 7-4 lead on John, having also met Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama while they were in office and Joe Biden when he was Vice President.
“Pope Francis, can’t leave him out,” Jim added. “Not a president but doesn’t get any higher, doesn’t get any better than Pope Francis. I think seven presidents, four first ladies, I’ve caught 22 foul balls in games. Legit … I’m really proud of that.”
