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Tristan Thompson recently opened up about his unexpected friendship with Eric Trump, revealing that they share a surprisingly close bond.
“He’s been incredibly supportive,” Thompson, 35, shared about Trump, 42, during the “Katie Miller” podcast episode on Tuesday, March 31. “Eric has played a significant role as a mentor and almost like an older brother to me.”
From the beginning, Thompson explained, Eric Trump has been “very welcoming.” The two met through mutual connections. (Eric, along with his siblings Donald Jr., 48, and Ivanka, 44, are the children of the 79-year-old former President Donald Trump and his late ex-wife Ivana Trump. Donald also has a daughter, Tiffany, 32, with former wife Marla Maples, and a son, Barron, 20, with his current wife, Melania Trump.)
The NBA star expressed gratitude for Eric’s support, especially in navigating the political arena. “Eric has been instrumental in encouraging me to explore this world,” Thompson noted. “His mentorship has been invaluable and has inspired me to learn more. I truly appreciate him for that.”
Meanwhile, Eric Trump has also spoken warmly about his friendship with golfer Rory McIlroy, recognizing McIlroy’s support for the Trump family. “Rory has become a great friend,” Eric, 42, commented. “Honestly, without Rory’s backing, I’m not sure we would have achieved the same outcomes,” referring to McIlroy’s influence in hosting events like the Irish Open.
Thompson didn’t reveal how he first crossed paths with Eric, a businessman and political activist, but he did share another connection to the Trump family he had.
When podcast host Katie Miller asked Thompson which celebrity he was “starstruck” to meet, he pointed to a moment where he was in the presence of former President Barack Obama and Donald Sr. at the same time.
“I would say maybe not starstruck but [someone I was] very excited to meet would be President Obama and First Lady Michelle [Obama],” Thompson recalled. “Because, I think, my mom was there with me. It was when we won the championship.”
President Donald Trump took a dig at White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt while discussing the backlash he has received. “I got 93 percent bad publicity, some people say 97, but between 93 and 97,” Trump, 79, said in the Oval Office while signing legislation on Tuesday, March 31. “A person that gets 97 percent […]
The Cleveland Cavaliers center — who won the 2016 NBA Championship with the team — noted that when he met Barack, 64, it was during a time of change at the White House.
“Funny enough, the same day we went to the White House visit was the same day President Trump actually flew to the White House for the first time,” Thompson, who shares daughter True, 7, and son Tatum, 3, with ex-girlfriend Khloé Kardashian, shared. “When President Obama was coming to speak with us I saw President Trump walking the back halls.” (Thompson also shares son Prince, 9, with ex Jordan Craig and son Theo, 4, with Maralee Nichols.)
Tristan Thompson made a rare comment about how the mothers of his kids — including Khloé Kardashian — are now “all friends” after past drama. “We’re all friends. We’re all family,” Thompson, 35, shared on a recent episode of “The Katie Miller Podcast” about the different dynamics. “We all have each other’s contact info. We’re […]
Thompson confirmed that it was after Donald Sr. won his first term as president in fall 2016 and he appeared to be there for a meeting before Barack left office.
President Obama was the 44th President of the United States. He served from 2009 to 2017. President Trump became the 45th President of the United States in 2017 after winning the election the prior fall. After he left office in 2021, President Joe Biden became the 46th Commander in Chief.
In January 2025, Donald Sr. returned to the Oval Office as the 47th President of the U.S.