Source: Anna Moneymaker / Getty

If there’s anyone Donald Trump loves to parade around, it’s a sports star or someone with a questionable past.

Both those worlds collided yesterday when Trump invited legendary New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, as well as pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker to the White House. The three stars were on hand as Trump reinstated the Presidential Fitness Test, a mandatory series of physical tests previously mandatory for all high school students.

While a seemingly small gesture by Trump, it could be seen as yet another way to get the public to overlook the fact that the Jeffrey Epstein files are still hidden. But the optics look even worse because the former NFL player, Taylor, is a registered sex offender.

Back in 2010, Taylor was accused of soliciting prostitution at a Holiday Inn in upstate New York. He found himself in deep legal trouble when he learned that her pimp forced her to lie about her age, and she was actually a 16-year-old girl. She was represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, who ultimately fought to get Taylor charged with felony third-degree statutory rape. A year later, Taylor pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute, for which he was given six months of probation and required to register as a low-risk, level-one sex offender.

Legal problems continued to follow Taylor in the 15 years since, including crashing into a parked police car in 2016 and later pleading guilty to a DUI. Then he’d be arrested several times for failing to notify the courts of his new address after moving— a requirement for sex offenders. 

But now, being propped up by Trump at the White House for his fitness initiative, he didn’t exactly understand why he was there.

“I’m just proud to be on this team. I don’t know why, I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing, but I’m here to serve and I’m here to serve you. So I’m going to do the best I can for as long as I can,” he said to onlookers, according to Newsweek.  

Trump saluted Taylor for his storied years as a member of the New York Giants’ defensive line, and recognized how long they’ve been friends.

“Acknowledged to be the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL, a friend of mine for a long time,” he said. “Too long, right, Lawrence? Lawrence Taylor, he’s an incredible guy and just been my friend a long time. Knew him forever.”

The public remains overwhelmingly concerned with another old friend of his, Jeffrey Epstein, whom he has consistently altered the narrative around. He bragged about releasing the Epstein files, which reportedly contain information on who was involved in his child trafficking ring, but after he was informed that he’s named in the documents, he called his base “stupid people” and suggested that the Biden administration planted his name there.

See social media’s response to Taylor’s presence below.

President Trump Ripped For Inviting Sex Offender & NFL Legend Lawrence Taylor To White House  was originally published on cassiuslife.com