San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa wore a MAGA hat and photo-bombed NBC’s post-game interview after the team’s victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, but the network initially omitted the gesture from clips that it posted on its social media feed.
The incident took place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday night following the Niners’ 30-24 victory over Dallas, which was broadcast on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
Melissa Stark, NBC’s sideline reporter, interviewed three of the Niners’ outstanding performers from the game — quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and running back Isaac Guerendo.
At the start of the segment, Bosa, who is known to be a supporter of former President Donald Trump, walked up behind the group and inserted himself into the camera’s field of view.
Wearing a white hat emblazoned with the slogan “Make America Great Again,” he walked up behind Stark and Purdy and gestured with both hands as if to draw attention to the pro-Trump headgear.
Bosa appeared for a few seconds before walking away. After the brief interruption, Stark continued the post-game interview with the three Niners.
NBC posted the clip of the post-game interview though the version that was published did not include Bosa’s pro-Trump cameo, according to the news site Outkick.
When social media users apparently protested the edit, NBC deleted the edited version.
On Monday morning, however, it posted the full, unedited video showing the Stark interview and Bosa’s entry into the frame.
The Post has sought comment from NBC.
When reporters asked Bosa for comment on the gesture, he said: “I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time.”
Trump, who is running against Vice President Kamala Harris, is seeking a second term in the White House. Voters will cast their ballots on Nov. 5.
Bosa was an outspoken Trump supporter during his collegiate playing days at Ohio State.
After Bosa was drafted by the 49ers in 2019, he scrubbed his social media accounts of posts that praised Trump and were critical of Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback who began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality.