Former Redskins quarterback and NFL analyst Joe Theismann slipped in some mild praise for Republican front-runner Donald Trump during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News Channel’s Outnumbered. This almost immediately led to Trump praising Theismann’s political acumen. And that, in turn, led to more kind words from Theismann about the presidential candidate who has dominated one news cycle after another.

It started when Theismann and Bo Dietl were discussing the cancellation of Los Angeles Unified School District classes after what was deemed a credible threat of violence. This prompted Dietl — a former NYPD detective — to wonder whether schools have enough staffers qualified to deal with such situations, and whether it would make sense for schools to hire armed former law enforcement officials as a deterrent.

“I think Bo makes a very good point when you talk about the lack of people that are available to be able to deal with the threats,” Theismann said. “I think the important thing to understand is it’s the safety of the children that the superintendent is concerned with, because as [Dietl] pointed out again, the option just isn’t available. If something does happen, then all of the sudden we have a tremendous mess. This is preventative.

“But you need to increase the force, and the ability of people to be able to feel comfortable when they send their kids to school,” Theismann said. “I agree with him — there are a lot of retired officers out there that would love the opportunity to be able to protect their neighborhood, their society. And give them a chance. I mean, if we’re spending $430 million on climate control in other countries, why not invest it in our country here? Which really is what Donald Trump is all about. Let’s take care of us here. Let’s look at what’s going on here, and Bo makes I think some very good points as to what can be done to be able to make people feel more safe in this country.”

That was enough for Trump to send out a message of praise on Twitter.

. #JoeTheismann was great as a political analyst on @FoxNews. He knows far more than football. Thanks for the nice words Joe! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2015

And then Outnumbered did another segment in which Theismann spent quite a while discussing Trump’s appeal and his Republican competitors. Theismann — who said that he is undecided but wishes the field of candidates would be winnowed for the good of the GOP — compared Trump with past political outsiders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura, saying “he’s smart and he’s bold.”

“Basically what Donald is saying is what everyone is thinking and no one is willing to say,” Theismann said. “You know, when you think about where he is, he’s not a part of the establishment, and the Republican Party is scared to death of him. But the one thing he has done — and people have to understand this — he has created such a following that if he does not get the nomination, he is a major threat to the party.

“And unless he finds somebody — and he said this in the first debate, when they asked him will you run as an independent if you don’t get the nomination — he said if I like the person that gets the nomination, I won’t [run]. He left that door wide open for the opportunity to be able to do whatever he wants to do. This is scary for everybody, because Donald is in control through the numbers. If he said listen, I didn’t get the nomination but I think Ted Cruz is a guy who could change it and do the things that we need, boom, it’s done. … Donald has been a master in getting people to relate to him, and that’s what they’re following.”

Theismann expressed doubt that Trump could actually do everything he has proposed, like building a wall along the Mexican border. But he noted that Trump is forcing other candidates to react to him, and said that his sound bites stick with voters after he’s done talking.

“Donald scares the living daylights out of the establishment,” Theismann said. “He really does. Because he’s not traditional. He’s an outsider. He can’t be controlled. You can’t dictate to him anything that he doesn’t want to do. He says everything and anything he wants to say. I mean, I totally disagreed with him when he basically attacked John McCain, a prisoner of war, and said some of the things that he said. But that will all be forgotten. That’s interesting.”

These two men have a long history that dates back at least 30 years; in 1983, there were rumors that Theismann might leave the Redskins for a job with Trump’s New Jersey Generals in the USFL.

“Recently came the report that the New Jersey Generals of the U.S. Football League were interested in Theismann,” The Post reported shortly before the 1984 Super Bowl. “However, that team’s owner, Donald Trump, said recently, ‘I know Joe and respect Joe, but he has two more years left on his contract and we need someone who can help us now.’ ”

Theismann on Tuesday expressed skepticism that Trump would listen to advisers, and also said he’d like to hear him talk more about every-day issues like the national debt, student tuition and the economy. But he seemed to share the view of so many observers: that Trump makes it impossible to avert your eyes, or your ears.

“I’ve known Donald for many years, and I find him a fascinating individual, an intriguing individual,” Theismann said. “When he first thought about running for president, I really didn’t think he would do it. But now that he’s running and he’s leading — all you need to do is ask him by how much and he’ll be happy to tell you, as he always does — he brings up a very intriguing situation as I look forward.”

(Via @sportsyack)