Cameras captured the moment where President Donald Trump was informed of the passing of Chicago Bears player and coach Mike Ditka.
Ditka, a Hall of Fame player and coach who led the Bears to their only Super Bowl title, passed away on Friday at the age of 86.
On the lawn of the White House, joined by boxing legend Mike Tyson and New York Yankees president Randy Levine, Trump was asked about Ditka's passing - only to reveal he hadn't heard the news.
'Oh, he did?' Trump asked before turning to his two companions and saying, 'Mike Ditka.'
Trump continued: 'He was a great guy. He was with me all the way. He was tough.'
.@POTUS reacts to the passing of Mike Ditka: "He was a great guy. He was with me all the way. He was tough. That's a sad one — you're just telling me that now for the first time... Wow. He was great." pic.twitter.com/8sf1CIU3TG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 9, 2026
President Donald Trump had a stunned reaction to the death of Bears coach Mike Ditka
President Donald Trump had a stunned reaction to the death of Bears coach Mike Ditka
Ditka, the coach who won the Bears their only Super Bowl title, died at the age of 86
Ditka, the coach who won the Bears their only Super Bowl title, died at the age of 86
Trump departed the White House for a rally in Syracuse, New York on Friday evening
Trump departed the White House for a rally in Syracuse, New York on Friday evening
Then, in an echo of his reaction to the death of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Trump said, 'Mike Ditka is... that's a sad one, you're just telling me that now for the first time.'
Trump closed: 'He was great. He was great. He was a... He was a big supporter of mine. Won the Super Bowl in '86. Yeah, no, he was a winner. He was a tough cookie. He was great.'
The President was speaking just before he left the White House with Tyson for a rally in Syracuse, New York on Friday evening.
After playing just a few seasons for the Bears, Ditka returned to Chicago as a head coach in 1982 and helped lead the team to their most successful era ever.
He became a popular figure in the city and in sports culture, leveraging this into a broadcasting career at ESPN.
Ditka's high-profile status also made him an effective advocate to secure improved health and retirement benefits for former players.
His name also circulated for years in Illinois political circles. Though he never ran for office, Ditka described himself as a staunch conservative and was mentioned several times as a possible Republican candidate, including a congressional race against then state Rep. Barack Obama for the US Senate.
In his later years, Ditka was a staunch supporter of Trump's - saying in 2016: 'I support Trump all the way. I really do.'
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