How Saquon Barkley went from getting canceled over Donald Trump to breaking the internet at the Met Gala

Talk about a plot twist. Just weeks ago, Saquon Barkley was getting dragged online for being spotted too cozy with Donald Trump. The NFL star faced serious heat after being linked to the controversial president and fans were not vibing with it. But fast forward to the 2025 Met Gala, and Barkley pulled the ultimate Uno reverse card. Dressed like a modern-day king in a sleek black suit, Saquon hit the carpet looking like he just walked off the set of Men in Black: Fashion Edition. And Twitter? Fully obsessed. It’s giving “NFL’s Next Style Icon,” and the timeline is eating it up.The Met Gala—a night known for fashion risks, memes, and viral moments. And Saquon Barkley? He delivered. Dressed in an ultra-tailored black tux with subtle sparkle and bold energy, he gave red carpet swagger that shut down the timeline. His photos instantly flooded X (formerly Twitter), and the reactions were chef’s kiss.People who were dragging him a week ago were now calling him “OUR GOAT 🐐,” “Men in Black 😎,” and simply “so tough demon 😭❤️.” His fashion moment gave fans a reason to rally behind him again, and they did loudly.Let’s rewind a bit. Earlier this year, Saquon Barkley found himself trending but not in a good way. A clip surfaced of him dapping up Donald Trump and exchanging friendly words, which instantly lit a fire under social media. Fans, especially from communities that had looked up to Barkley for years, weren’t happy. Some called it a “bad look,” while others questioned where he really stood politically. The backlash was intense, with people accusing him of aligning with values that didn’t reflect the culture he came from. For a minute there, it felt like Saquon’s image had taken a major hit.Suddenly, the narrative wasn’t “Saquon and Trump”—it was “Saquon, the Fashion Icon.” That kind of image pivot doesn’t happen every day, especially not in the age of cancel culture. But Barkley somehow turned a viral backlash into a full-blown comeback.Also read - Jalen Hurts’ absence from AJ Brown’s engagement party fuels fan theories: “Nobody likes or trusts him”