What to Know
- President Donald Trump said he's "surprised" to hear of Patriots owner Robert Kraft facing soliciting charges in Florida.
- Authorities in Jupiter, Florida, say the 77-year-old NFL owner was caught on video engaging in sex acts at an illicit massage parlor.
- President Trump has been vocal in the past about his friendship with Kraft, along with Patriots QB Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick.
President Donald Trump said he's "surprised" to see New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged with soliciting prostitution in Florida.
Trump also emphasized that Kraft denied the allegations when asked about the charges Kraft faces in the Oval Office Friday afternoon.
"Well it's very sad," he said. "I was very surprised to see it. He's proclaimed his innocence totally, but I'm very surprised to see it."
Authorities in Jupiter, Florida announced the 77-year-old Brookline, Massachusetts, native will charged with two counts of soliciting another to commit prostitution -- both misdemeanors -- based on two different visits caught on camera to an illicit massage parlor connected to a wider human trafficking ring.
The president has been very vocal in the past about his friendships with Kraft, Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady, and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
In an interview with The Daily Caller just days before the Patriots faced the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII earlier this month, Trump praised the trio's "great chemistry with each other," and said it was a key to the team's success over the years, eventually saying he was "very good friends" with them.
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Kraft told Fox News that he appreciated the Republican president's support of the Patriots.
"Well, we can use every fan who wants to support us, from wherever they are in their standard of life," Kraft said.
In a statement through a spokesperson, Kraft "categorically" denied the charges.
