A furious Michael Strahan lashed out at a DailyMail.com reporter on Tuesday and grabbed his cellphone when asked for comment on the furor surrounding his national anthem faux pas.
The Good Morning America star, 52, has yet to answer questions about the controversy that led fans to call for him to be fired from Fox Sports for not placing his hand over his heart during the national anthem on Sunday.
Strahan stood with his hands folded in front of him alongside his Fox Sports co-stars at Naval Base San Diego as the national anthem played.
He was the only man on the show not to put his hand on his heart and quickly drew criticism from viewers, some of whom called him “cowardly” and “disrespectful.”
While Fox Sports supports him and others have jumped to his defense, Strahan has yet to address the controversy directly.
But when he was calmly asked for comment Tuesday after arriving home from co-hosting ABC’s Good Morning America, he immediately exploded.
‘Don’t come to my house, man!’ he shouted, grabbing the journalist’s phone.
He then threw the phone into a nearby bush, before heading to his $20 million home with his girlfriend Kayla Quick.
Michael Strahan went into a frenzy and threw a DailyMail.com journalist’s phone into a bush after being asked why he refused to join in the national anthem.
Strahan didn’t like being asked about the Fox Sports anthem incident
The TV legend appeared to be feeling the heat after being questioned about the controversy following his return to ABC’s Good Morning America.
Strahan, who grew up on a military base and whose father is a retired Army major, was absent from ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday after the anthem controversy.
But as fan outrage grew on social media, he posted a tribute to his father and all veterans.
He returned to the ABC studios in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, but again did not mention the controversy in any segment of the two-hour show.
He then threw it into a nearby bush and headed to his $20 million home, with his girlfriend Kayla Quick following him.
Strahan’s longtime girlfriend, Kayla Quick, followed him inside.
He briefly featured a story about a soldier who was reunited with his family on Veterans Day, but did not comment on the anthem incident.
Fox Sports has rejected calls for Strahan to be punished or resign after the incident.
A source told DailyMail.com that his “colleagues support him and understand that he was not taking advantage of the moment for himself.”
“There won’t be any kind of punishment or fine going Michael’s way,” the source said.
“He may address it, but he’s weighing his options because he never thought this would have happened.”
‘He knows the man he is and almost doesn’t want to address the controversy to give it more life.
“Michael wants Veterans Day to be for those men and women who deserve it and deserve praise, to be in the conversation like this and extend the talk about what people think he was doing, would be a disservice to what means the day.’
Strahan (right) has been criticized for not placing his hand over his heart during the anthem on Sunday, the day before Veterans Day.
Fans were quick to criticize Strahan for now placing his hand over his heart at the naval base.
The NFL analyst shared a photo of his ex-military father and paid tribute to America’s veterans, but has yet to directly comment on the furor.
ABC representatives have not received word about his behavior at Sunday’s event.
Strahan is one of the network’s highest-paid hosts, earning about $20 million a year and tasked with conducting high-profile interviews.
Prior to his television career, he was a Super Bowl-winning NFL player with the New York Giants.
Recently honored as one of the team’s most famous players of all time, he was drafted in 1993 and played in the league for 14 seasons.
After hanging up his shoes in 2007, he joined GMA in 2012 and became a full-time host four years later in 2016.
In 2014, he was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for a very small minority of former football stars.
Many critics now say he does not deserve the honors he has been given in the wake of the controversy over his national anthem.
Newsmax host Todd Starnes was among those who criticized Strahan.
The sports legend was back in front of cameras on Tuesday after his national anthem gaffe, but he pulled out of Monday’s show.
The former Giants star photographed with his daughters Sophia (second from left) and Isabella (third from left) along with his girlfriend Kayla Quick (right).
‘Michael Strahan disrespected the military during a Veterans Day pregame show on @NFLonFOX.
‘The great irony is that Strahan is on a ship surrounded by men and women who would be willing to sacrifice their lives to protect his freedom. “Therefore, his behavior is not only disgusting, but downright cowardly,” he said.
Another fan commented: ‘What the hell is wrong with Michael Strahan!? On fucking Veterans Day! Boo, @NFL. Boo, @NFLonFOX. It’s not right.’
A third added: ‘Fire Michael Strahan! This is unacceptable!’
Strahan’s representatives did not immediately respond to questions.