President Donald Trump and the NFL have gone from adversaries to associates. Wow.

Earlier this week, the president hosted NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris at the White House to announce that the 2027 NFL Draft would be held on the National Mall.

This seemed impossible just a few years ago.

During his first term in office, Trump engaged in conflicts with team owners and referred to a Black player who kneeled during the national anthem as a “son of a bitch.” He transformed Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest against racism and police brutality into a rallying cry. In 2018, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed that Trump had told him that players who protested during the national anthem represented “a very winning, strong issue for me.” Trump advised him to tell everyone that “you can’t win this one” because “this one lifts me.”

But then 2020 happened. This was followed by Trump losing an election, the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and him watching his hand-picked former NFL legend (Herschel Walker) lose a senatorial race in Georgia.

It appears that Trump called an audible. Instead of antagonizing football players, he is now trying to build a friendly rapport with them, perhaps hoping they will overlook the turmoil in his first administration. This shift has resulted in a more cheerful and casual atmosphere, especially given America’s obsession with football.

The guy might be stupid, but he’s never been dumb.