Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump pulled wealthy former NFL player Brett Favre to a stage at a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin this week. Farve, who served as quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, is working hard for Trump in the final days before the Nov. 4 election.
“We’ve already had Pres. Trump once. We’ve already seen Kamala in action. We can compare, and we know which is better," Favre told the crowd. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results … It would be insane to give Kamala four more years in office. So it’s time to bench Kamala and put in the star quarterback."
Farve also took that time to tear into Pres. Joe Biden for appearing to call Trump supporters “garbage” after Trump-financed comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at a rally last week.
Biden’s angry response was “a minor gaffe,” according to news sources.
“[Puerto Ricans] are good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done.”
Biden later posted a clarification on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he was referring to “the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter (comedian Hinchcliffe) at his Madison Square Garden rally.”
Farve did not acknowledge Biden’s clarification, however. "I can assure you we’re not garbage,” Favre told the crowd. “How dare he say that? I see police officers, teachers, nurses, grandparents, students. I see everyday Americans that make this country great.”
Favre is identified in phone texts with Mississippi leaders as personally involving himself in the transfer of TANF money to himself and his pet projects.
Mississippians familiar with Farve’s connection to the ongoing TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) scandal may not consider Farve the best spokesman for cleanliness, however. Farve is among a large group of politically connected individuals—many Republicans—being sued by the state of Mississippi for their role in diverting precious ‘welfare’ money from impoverished Mississippi families and children.
Favre is identified in phone texts with Mississippi leaders as personally involving himself in the transfer of TANF money to himself and his pet projects. The texts were revealed to the public through ongoing litigation to recoup millions of dollars in misspent TANF program money. The exchanges show Favre to be deeply engaged in diverting millions of federal welfare dollars to pay for the construction of a new volleyball facility at a university where his daughter played volleyball. The messages also reveal Favre sought assurances from nonprofit executive Nancy New that the public would never learn he was pressing to funnel TANF grant money away from disadvantaged families.
“If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?” Farve asked New.
“No, we never had that information publicized,” New responded. “I understand you being uneasy about that though...”
New has since pleaded guilty for her role in diverting TANF money.
Other texts pulled from civil actions reveal former Republican Gov. Phil Bryant to be working with Farve to divert money from families.
“Just left Brett Favre,” Bryant texted to Nancy New in 2019. “Can we help him with his project. We should meet soon to see how I can make sure we keep your projects on course.”
When Favre asked Bryant in a separate correspondence how a new incoming Mississippi Department of Human Services agency director might affect their plans to divert money to Farve’s stadium, Bryant assured him, “I will handle that… long story but had to make a change. But I will call Nancy and see what it will take,” according to filings.
New’s nonprofit also abused TANF funds to pay Favre $1.1 million to give speeches and create promotional materials.
“Nancy Santa came today and dropped some money off. Thank you my goodness thank you,” Favre wrote to New in 2017. “We need to setup the promo for you soon. Your way to kind.”
Mississippi Auditor Shad White claims Favre never showed up for his speeches.
State Republican leaders and their collaborators excel at diverting TANF money away from the impoverished families. Only 211 adults in the state qualified for TANF benefits in 2023 and only 329 single-parent families. In fact, only about 2,400 Mississippi children received TANF in 2023, despite the state’s nearly 3 million people being some of the most impoverished in the nation. Federal law allows states like Mississippi to use TANF funds to pay for “accounting” and “litigation,” however leaders have been using it to pay lawyers hundreds of thousands of additional dollars to reclaim millions that Republican allies have squandered under GOP leadership. They’ve also used it to settle civil litigation against white DHS employees sued for racist behavior against Black employees.
In September, Favre appeared before a Republican-led congressional committee examining how states are failing to dispense TANF. There, Favre essentially told Republicans they needed to insulate the system against wasting money in the manner that he wasted it. Favre argues he only later discovered the money for his bogus speaking engagements and volleyball stadiums came from taxpayers, despite texts showing he was premeditatively leery of media interest in him receiving it.
U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., was having none of it at Farve’s committee presentation.
“You’ve stated in your testimony that you want to help protect TANF, presumably from people like yourself, who use it for unrelated spending,” Sanchez said.
As of today, Farve has repaid roughly $1 million he took in speaking fees. Mississippi Auditor Shad White claims Favre still owes nearly $730,000 in interest.
"I have lived the American dream,” Farve told the crowd of Trump supporters this week in Green Bay, “but I want to make sure that future generations get to, as well. So remember this: Let’s make American great again."
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