Mike Ditka Refused To Change His Political Stance, Made His Feelings Very Clear About Donald Trump

October 11, 2026, 11:56am EST 4 • By Arnab Mondal

Mike Ditka, the legendary NFL star and head coach, was never afraid to speak what a thought. The former Chicago Bears coach, who passed away earlier this week at 86, always stood by his political views, even when people pushed back. He also made it clear that he expected everyone else to own up to their choices, too.

Click for sound 0:00 / 0:00 Ditka became an all-time football great as a Hall of Fame tight end and the coach who led the iconic 1985 Bears to a Super Bowl title. But his life off the field made plenty of noise as well, especially whenever he talked politics and shared his strong support for Donald Trump.

To his family, though, he was way more than just a sports hero. In a statement after his death, they said, “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family.” The NFL also honored Ditka’s legacy, sending love and condolences to everyone close to him.

Ditka never hid his political opinions. One of his biggest regrets involved the 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois. He believed he could have defeated Barack Obama, who won the Democratic primary and later became president.

The former coach once said that not running for the Senate ranked among the biggest regrets of his life. He felt confident that a win over Obama could have changed the course of American politics.

Sports commentator Colin Cowherd reacted to Ditka’s belief in his chances. “Mike Ditka genuinely believed he could’ve beaten Obama in a Senate race, that’s how big his ego was,” Cowherd wrote.

Ditka also stood firmly behind Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. He refused to apologize for his support and urged Republicans to back Trump if he became the party’s nominee.

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“The Republican Party has its head up its (expletive) – if he’s the candidate, you’ve got to get behind him,” Ditka told the Chicago Tribune in 2016. He also criticized Republicans who refused to support the nominee.

Ditka made his position clear when he discussed voters’ choices with the newspaper.

“If you want good things to happen, you can vote for him, and if you don’t, you don’t,” he said. “But don’t (expletive) about it after the fact.”

He also expressed interest in helping Trump’s campaign, although he questioned whether he would attend the Republican National Convention to deliver a speech.

“I can help him, but I don’t know if I can give a speech at the convention,” Ditka told the Tribune.

President Trump later reacted to Ditka’s death, remembering him as a tough competitor and a loyal supporter. They shared a good bond after all.