Who do the Premier League want to win the US election?

As the United States goes to the polls the Premier League’s American investors are divided in their political allegiances

The owners of Liverpool and Manchester United illustrated their shared vision for football with Project Big Picture but Fenway Sports Group and the Glazers are on different sides in the US presidential election. The Premier League’s American investors are divided in their political allegiances.

John W Henry, Liverpool’s principal owner, is the publisher of the Boston Globe newspaper, which has endorsed Joe Biden for the White House. Henry is left-leaning in American terms and the Globe backed Hillary Clinton four years ago when the Democratic candidate lost to Donald Trump.  

The billionaire enjoys mixing in political circles and dined with Ed Miliband when the Harvard-educated Boston Red Sox fan was leader of the Labour Party. New England is traditional Democrat territory and Henry reflects the mood in the region.

The Glazers are based in Florida, one of the most important battleground states. Joel, who has collaborated with Henry on the controversial blueprint for a revamp of the game’s finances, comes from a family with strong Republican sympathies. Ed, his brother, hosted a fundraiser for Trump four years ago and donated $250,000 to the president’s inaugural committee. Like most owners of sporting franchises in the US, the Glazers contribute to candidates on both sides of the political divide but the weight of money leans towards the Republican party. Joel may be the black sheep, however. His only donation in recent years outside the NFL’s own lobbying group was $5,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund four years ago. Even so, United fans can be sure that most of Glazers voted for Trump.

Stan Kroenke is an unabashed Republican and put $1million into the Trump inauguration pot after the last election but the Arsenal owner likes to hedge his bets. He also gifted Clinton $100,000 during the presidential race.

There are limits to how far the St Louis Rams owner will go in his support for Trump. Three years ago the President hit out at NFL players who knelt during the national anthem in the protest against racial inequality and said that they should be fired. In response, Kroenke issued a statement supporting his employees’ freedom of expression.  

Shad Khan supports Trump’s fiscal programme but has reservations about other aspects of the administration. Last year Fulham’s owner said: “I have been a big fan of his economic policies. I think we are benefiting from it.” That sort of opinion might be expected from a billionaire. In other areas, Khan has been less impressed.

Khan was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States at the age of 16. He became an American citizen in 1991. Later in the same speech, the Muslim owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars detailed where he parted company with the President. “I think it’s very clear on social issues—immigration, religion, what have you—I think we need to have a different viewpoint,” he said.

The Premier League investor with the closest links to Trump is Josh Harris. The Philadelphia 76ers owner has an 18 per cent share of Crystal Palace, the same proportion as David Blitzer, his partner in the NBA franchise.

Harris gave advice about infrastructure policy to the White House and was at one point considered for the position of director of the Office of Management and Budget. The billionaire was reported to have conducted a number of meetings with Jared Kushner in the first year of Trump’s term. Although Harris’s backed away from the job in government, his relationship with the President’s son-in-law raised eyebrows and sparked ethical questions when one of the Palace part-owner’s companies loaned Kushner’s real estate business $184 million.

Blitzer’s allegiances are less clear. Last month he donated $2,800 to the Biden For President fund. This year he has given similar amounts to the coffers of five Democratic congressional candidates and one Republican. Like many wealthy American owners, Blitzer appears to looking for friends across the political spectrum.

Wes Edens, Aston Villa’s co-owner, is an unabashed Democrat. Almost all of his donations have gone to Biden’s party. Edens created Fragile Earth, an organisation devoted to reversing climate change. His views are completely at odds with Trump, who has regularly scoffed at the idea of global warming.

Leeds United’s minority owner is 49ers Enterprises, which holds a 10 per cent share of the Premier League club. The San Francisco 49ers have been in the DeBartolo family since 1977 and Denise DeBartolo York, her husband John and son Jed hold the reins of the NFL team.

Denise York has been a strong supporter of Tim Ryan, the Ohio Democratic congressman, and Jed gave $5,400 to Kamala Harris’ Senate campaign five years ago. Jed York called Trump’s comments about players taking the knee “callous and offensive” and when the 49ers reached the Super Bowl earlier this year there was speculation over whether York would make the traditional visit to the White House should his team have won American football’s showpiece game. In the end it did not matter. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the 49ers but the antagonism between York and the President was clear.

The situation is complicated because Trump issued a pardon to Eddie DeBartolo Jr in February. Denise York’s brother was forced to pass the 49ers ownership on to his sister after pleading guilty to failing to report a felony in a bribery case in 1998. It is unlikely that the President’s clemency will buy Trump any votes in the York household, though.    

The Premier League’s owners shade towards the incumbent in this election but often with deep reservations. Even among billionaires President Trump splits opinions.