Bill Belichick Shuts Down Donald Trump Questions, Praises Tom Brady

Bill Belichick sure as hell doesn't want to talk about his good friend, Donald Trump -- and shut down reporters when he was asked about the drama surrounding the Eagles' White House visit.

Remember, Belichick and Trump are tight ... in fact, Trump just appointed him to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

Plus, Belichick famously wrote Trump a congratulatory letter right before the election -- a letter Trump read onstage at a major event.

So, when Belichick faced reporters at Patriots training camp on Tuesday ... the media wanted to know how he felt about the way Trump was handling the Eagles situation and the NFL's new national anthem rules.

Guess what ... Belichick deflected and deflected.

He did sorta address the Tom Brady drama after his QB blew off Pats voluntary workouts.

"I've always had a good relationship with Tom," Belichick insisted.