Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills made headlines Wednesday morning when he called out team owner Stephen Ross for hosting a Donald Trump fundraiser.
In particular, Stills saw ironic juxtaposition between Ross’ non-profit organization, the “Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality” and the fact that Ross was hosting the fundraiser for President Trump.
Hours later, Ross issued a statement, which was shared by Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, in which he defended his decision:
“I have always been an active participant in the democratic process,” Ross wrote. “While some prefer to sit outside the process and criticize, I prefer to engage directly and support the things I deeply care about.
“I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions.
“I started my business with nothing and a reason for my engagement with our leaders is my deep concern for creating jobs and growing our country’s economy.
“I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges.”