The President's Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition Council features some Trump-friendly faces
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President Trump has reportedly assembled his Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (not to be confused with President Barack Obama's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition), a move that has him bringing together legends like New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, and … Dr. Oz.
Trump signed an executive order creating his council in February, breaking with former first lady Michelle Obama's nutrition-centric agenda and putting an emphasis on team sports. Other members of the council include three-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, retired NFL running back Herschel Walker, and, of course, a golfer: Natalie Gulbis.
While some of Trump's other councils have struggled with mass resignations, he has some friendly faces in his sports, fitness, and nutrition group. Axios notes that "in the early 1980s, when Trump tried — and failed — to crush the NFL through his purchase of USFL team the New Jersey Generals, his star recruit was Herschel Walker." The president has long been buddy-buddy with Belichick, with whom he recently had a "long" call about Tom Brady's future, and television physician Dr. Mehmet Oz gave Trump a clean bill of health during the 2016 presidential campaign.
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The council will join Trump at the White House to host a "sports field day" in the coming months, Axios reports.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
