Amon-Ra St. Brown apologized to the NFL and Detroit Lions fans after his Trump dance TD celebration in front of the president sparked backlash before he was punched in the helmet against Washington
21:33 ET, 12 Nov 2025
Amon-Ra St. Brown speaks on his podcast
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Amon-Ra St. Brown apologized for the Donald Trump dance(Image: X (@StBrownPodcast))
There are the iconic touchdown dances with props that lead to NFL fines and infamy, and then there are the polarizing ones that set the internet on fire. Amon-Ra St. Brown's latest celebration fell directly into the second category, but the Lions WR is making sure to clear his name of any labeling affiliations.
The Detroit Lions wideout mimicked Donald Trump's hand dance during a 9-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter of the team’s 44-22 win over Washington. The move came with Trump himself in attendance despite being booed at halftime, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had attended a regular-season NFL game since Jimmy Carter in 1978.
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St. Brown's alleged lighthearted shimmy instantly went from a sideline laugh to a national talking point and was followed up by a second-quarter scuffle that ended with him getting punched in the face.
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Amon-Ra discussed the moment on his podcast with his brother Equanimeous, providing an explanation that kept his political beliefs separate.
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"So, first of all, if I offended anyone, I do apologize," he said. "It was just — we were having fun. If any president was at that game, and they had a dance, I would've done it. It had nothing to do with who the president was."
He went on to explain that he learned postgame that it was the first time in over four decades that a sitting president had attended a regular-season NFL matchup. "We were just having fun doing the dance," he added. “Nothing serious. Nothing political. Just doing a little dance."
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Trump himself reposted a clip to Truth Social, captioning it "Amon-Ra St. Trump," which didn't help his campaign of establishing non-political boundaries. The response triggered a new wave of backlash toward the receiver, as some fans accused him of injecting politics into sports.
"Lost a lot of fans, bro," one wrote. "You're smarter than that." Another added, "So are we keeping politics out of sports, yes or no?" Others defended him, arguing it was clearly a joke blown out of proportion.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta, and wide receiver Jameson Williams dance and celebrate in the end zone
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St. Brown was joined by teammates during the dance
St. Brown's performance itself was solid with five catches, 58 yards, and a touchdown, while Jared Goff connected with Jameson Williams six times for 119 yards and a score.. During the second quarter, Washington's Daron Payne threw a punch that led to an ejection and, later, a one-game suspension.
Payne claimed St. Brown struck first, a claim backed by defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who told reporters, “The refs literally saw the first punch. Daron retaliated. I don’t blame him.” St. Brown stayed vague, only saying, "Tempers flared, nothing crazy."
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St. Brown runs after catching a pass
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St. Brown had five catches, 58 yards, and a touchdown
The “Trump dance” trend has taken on a weird life of its own across sports.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones performed it in front of Trump after knocking out Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden last year. U.S. soccer star Christian Pulisic broke it out during a goal celebration against Jamaica.