Presidential candidate Jeb Bush said he supported the Denver Broncos over the Carolina Panthers in Sunday’s Super Bowl because he got a campaign contribution from Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
Bush, the former governor of Florida, explained his pick Wednesday during a campaign stop in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
“I know that y’all probably maybe had some leanings toward Carolina,” Bush told the crowd. “I was for Denver, not because of the Broncos, but because Peyton Manning wrote me a check.”
Bush continued by saying that he thinks Manning serves as “the adult in the room” in the NFL – a role Bush says he’s playing in the Republican primary contest.
That comment might not sit well with fans of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who’s faced criticism for walking away from a post-game news conference Sunday.
Federal campaign finance records show Bush received a $2,700 contribution from Manning last August.
A YouTube user identified only as “Benjamin Aristophanes” posted a clip of the comment from ABC News coverage of the event: