Retired NFL star Jason Kelce sparked controversy on social media when he shared his Fourth of July wishes. He expressed his love for the holiday, highlighting its significance as a day Americans set aside their differences to celebrate a shared identity, stating, “Cheers to you, oh beautiful America,” alongside a fireworks video.

Kelce’s comments came shortly after President Trump signed a $3.3 trillion bill into law during a White House event on Independence Day. His post was met with mixed reactions, some supporting his patriotic message, others criticizing it. One critic commented, “Set aside differences? One party wants to feed children. The other wants to feed brown people to alligators.”

Some responses expressed disappointment, with one saying, “Oof! Being supremely disappointed by a Kelce today was not on my bingo card,” and others urging him to be more mindful of current hardships, remarking, “Please read the room right now. Many are suffering.”

The debate continued with some supporters praising Kelce for taking a stand, emphasizing the importance of differing opinions as part of democracy and the spirit of July 4th. As of Saturday, the post had garnered over 132,000 likes and nearly 4,000 comments.

While Kelce and his brother, Travis Kelce, a star player for the Kansas City Chiefs, have kept their political views largely private, Travis’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, publicly expressed her support for Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election.