‘God Behind All This’: Damar Hamlin Responds To Outpouring Of Love And Support

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin responded on Sunday to the outpouring of love and support he has seen in the last week from his teammates, other NFL players and teams, and fans.

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals — after which team trainer Denny Kellington performed CPR and first responders rushed him to the hospital — but by game time on Sunday, the recovering player was sitting up in his Cincinnati hospital bed and cheering his teammates on to a 35-23 win over the New England Patriots.

GAMETIME!!! @BuffaloBills 💙 pic.twitter.com/PQYClonUHb

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023

The Buffalo Bills made it clear on Sunday that they were taking the field with Hamlin in their hearts. And in the opening moments of the game, teammate Nyheim Hines set the tone for the day by returning the opening kick-off for a 96-yard touchdown.

Throughout the game — and other games across the league — different teams and players offered their own tributes to Hamlin. And Hamlin, who was watching from his hospital bed, took it all in and responded via Twitter.

“God Behind All This No Coincidence,” Hamlin tweeted in response to the opening kick-off return.

God Behind All This No Coincidence..3️⃣ https://t.co/J2dCVv4VBN

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023

When Bills tight end Dawson Knox scored the second touchdown of the day, he signaled the words “I love you” with his hands. Hamlin, who saw Knox’s gesture, tweeted, “I love you too @dawson_knox.”

Knox replied after the game, “Love you boy!!”

Love you boy!! 🫶👆 https://t.co/1pk0q6MkL1

— Dawson Knox (@dawson_knox) January 8, 2023

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — who was part of the collision with Hamlin just prior to his cardiac arrest — caught Hamlin’s attention when he shared a photo of himself warming up Sunday in a shirt that read “Love for Damar.”

🫡🖤. https://t.co/LaD6Kzc2hZ

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023

Hamlin also responded to a tweet from a fan, who shared a video of himself and friends shouting, “We love you, Damar!”

“Love you more!” he said.

Love you more! 🫶🏾3️⃣💕 https://t.co/ZWPFDY627L

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023

“Rod Dawg,” he tweeted in response when his former high school teammate — Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas — took a moment after an interception in his game against the Houston Texans. He and his teammates walked to the 30-yard line and gathered around the number three, and Thomas held up his hands in the shape of a heart.

🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾 Rod Dawg! @Rodney_Thomas26 https://t.co/a4UEVGa17E

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023

Hamlin immediately moved to pay it forward, however, announcing a new t-shirt that he was selling to raise money for the men and women who worked tirelessly to save his life.

“We all won,” Hamlin tweeted. “I want to give back an ounce of the love y’all showed me. Proceeds of this shirt will go to first-responders and the UC Trauma Center. Go get yours.”

We all won 🫶🏾.

I want to give back an ounce of the love y'all showed me. Proceeds of this shirt will go to first-responders and the UC Trauma Center.

Go get yours!https://t.co/YoDbBo6bzs pic.twitter.com/BQ6HHv5woF

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Seeks Answers After Federal Government Leaks Social Security Numbers Of Her Family

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is looking for answers after the federal government leaked her social security number — and those of her family members — in the public release of records from the January 6 House committee.

Noem publicly shared the letter that her lawyers sent to federal agencies to demand a response over the publicly disclosed information in a Twitter post on Friday.

“My lawyers have asked the @WhiteHouse, the @USNatArchives, and @BennieGThompson which of them is responsible for leaking the Social Security Numbers of me, my husband, my 3 kids, and my son-in-law,” she tweeted. “What specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect our identities?”

My lawyers have asked the @WhiteHouse, the @USNatArchives, and @BennieGThompson which of them is responsible for leaking the Social Security Numbers of me, my husband, my 3 kids, and my son-in-law.

What specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect our identities? pic.twitter.com/HWBu5ukWPP

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 6, 2023

Noem’s leaked social security numbers were posted alongside the private information of nearly 2,000 others in a file of high-profile visitors to the White House in December 2020.

“The National Archives produced these visitors logs, which then became exhibits during the January 6 Committee hearing. Prior to being published as exhibits, the law required that Protected Personal Information be redacted from the visitor logs, but that was not done,” the letter from Noem’s lawyers read.

The letter argued that the publication of the governor’s and of her family’s private information is a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974 and could lead to further legal action. The lawyers are requesting a response by January 13 from those involved.

The Daily Wire reported on Friday that after the committee’s last public meeting last month, it released a trove of official records, testimonies, transcripts, and other information that it collected as part of its investigation into the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. One of those documents was a spreadsheet containing nearly 2,000 Social Security numbers of White House guests in December 2020.

Among the Social Security numbers on the list, since removed from the files, was information associated with at least three Trump cabinet members, several Republican governors, and numerous officials and allies, according to The Washington Post. Some of the other leaders whose personal information was leaked included Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R), and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

On November 30, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) wrote a letter to committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) demanding that the January 6 committee preserve all records from its investigation.

“You have spent a year and a half and millions of taxpayers’ dollars conducting this investigation. It is imperative that all information be preserved not just for institutional prerogatives but for transparency to the American people,” McCarthy wrote. “The official Congressional Records do not belong to you or any member, but to the American people, and they are owed all the information you gathered – not merely the information that comports with your political agenda.”

Noem’s letter from her lawyers also came one day ahead of the inauguration of her second term as governor of South Dakota.