When Terry played football, we all just thought he was a “good ole boy” from Louisiana. He’s always played up his southern drawl and charm, perhaps as a way to charm viewers and potential fans, but he’s also always been more intelligent than people expect. In fact, NFL coach Jimmy Johnson said that Terry deflects criticism of his intelligence by saying he's “so dumb that he has to have somebody else fly his private plane,” an obviously very smart joke.

And it’s Terry’s down-to-earth sense of humor and intelligence that have guided him throughout his life, including his political views. He grew up in southern America, surrounded by the classic Republican party, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he was a long-term Republican. In fact, in 2012, he supported Newt Gingrich’s campaign for the Republican nomination. However, Mitt Romney ultimately won the bid and lost the presidency.

But in an October 2020 interview with Business Jet Traveler, Terry revealed that he had officially dropped his affiliation with the Republican party. “I've been a Republican, but now I'm a registered independent,” he revealed. “I don't want to alienate anyone and the minute you say, ‘I'm a Democrat’ or ‘I'm Republican,’ you're kicking off the other side. I want the best person [in the White House], and I'll pick the one who's most like the way I feel.”