Donald Trump praises Rex Ryan's imaginary AFC championships

Sometimes politicians make our jobs too easy. This is one of those times.

At a rally in New York ahead of that state’s primary, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump was introduced by Buffalo Bills football coach Rex Ryan.

"There's so many things I admire about Mr. Trump, but one thing I really admire about him is, you know what, he'll say what's on his mind," Ryan told the crowd. "But so many times, you'll see people, a lot of people want to say the same thing. But there's a big difference. They don't have the courage to say it. They all think it, but they don't have the courage to say it."

When it was Trump’s turn to talk, he repaid Ryan with a compliment.

"You know, he won championships in New York," Trump said. "The AFC, I think, twice."

Ryan has coached seven years in New York, six with the New York Jets (who technically play their games in New Jersey) and one with the Bills.

Featured Fact-check

Andrew Tate

stated on March 26, 2024 in an X post

The ship that struck a Baltimore bridge “was cyber-attacked.”

He has a career coaching record of 58 wins and 61 losses.

And, he has never won the AFC championship -- the winner of which goes on to the Super Bowl.

Ryan’s teams lost in the AFC championship game both in 2009-10 (Indianapolis Colts 30, Jets 17) and in 2010-11 (Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Jets 19).

Just to round this out, Ryan hasn’t won a division championship in New York, nor did he ever play on a New York team that won a championship.

This claim rates False.

Correction: The Colts made up an 11-point deficit to beat the Jets in the 2009-10 AFC Championship. We apologize for listing the wrong team in an earlier version of this fact-check, and for rubbing salt in the wounds of Jets fans.

https://www.sharethefacts.co/share/3545a6ac-cb46-461f-a52e-3723ab604886