‘Not Even Close’: Donald Trump Pushed Daughter Ivanka To Date Iconic Michigan Athlete During Relationship With Husband Jared Kushner

According to a new memoir, there was apparently a time when Donald Trump thought the legendary Michigan college icon Tom Brady, who ended up being one of the NFL’s most iconic quarterbacks would be getting romantic with his daughter Ivanka Trump.

The eyebrow-raising story comes from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s upcoming book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery. In it, Newsom recounts a 2018 ride aboard Marine One with Donald Trump and Jared Kushner, Ivanka’s husband since 2009. What began as a routine helicopter trip reportedly drifted into deeply personal territory and, by the sound of it, deeply awkward airspace.

According to Newsom’s account, Trump reminisced about a time when Brady was single and allegedly interested in Ivanka. The two were at an event together when Brady asked for her number. Trump happily handed it over. Brady reportedly called. Ivanka, however, did not call back. That’s when things took a turn, per Daily Mail.

Donald Trump Wanted Michigan Football Legend As His Son-In-Law

As Newsom writes, Trump later followed up with his daughter after Brady mentioned the snub. The former president allegedly recalled saying, “I said, Jesus, you know, Tom Brady. What the hell is going on? Why aren’t you calling this guy back?” Ivanka’s response? “Oh, I’m in love.” And that, according to the story, is when she mentioned Jared Kushner.

Newsom described the moment that followed as “dead air for a moment.” Which, if you’ve ever been in a room where someone casually announces their son-in-law was not exactly the first draft pick, you can probably imagine the vibe.

But Trump reportedly didn’t stop there. Turning to Newsom, he allegedly added, “Not even close, right, Gavin? Tom Brady. Tom Brady.”

Tom Brady, the Michigan Wolverine who became an NFL icon, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, and arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, is no small hypothetical son-in-law. He may have been a sixth-round draft pick, but he became football’s ultimate underdog-turned-king. The idea of pairing him with Ivanka probably sounded like a branding dream: power, prestige, and prime-time appeal.

Ivanka Trump And Tom Brady Could Have Been A Huge Pairing

But life, as it tends to do, went another direction. Ivanka married Kushner in 2009, and the couple now share three children. Meanwhile, Brady has long since moved through different chapters of his own highly publicized personal life.

For his part, Brady addressed the dating rumors back in April 2020 during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. He didn’t exactly fuel the fantasy. “That was a long time ago in my life,” he said. “Did I consider dating her? No, there was never really that where we ever dated or anything like that.”

So while the story may live on as a colorful anecdote, it doesn’t appear to have ever been a real romance in motion. Still, culturally, the idea says a lot. Politics and celebrity have been intertwined for years, but this anecdote highlights how power circles often overlap in deeply personal ways. It also underscores something relatable: parents having very strong opinions about who their children should date.

Except in this case, the “alternative option” just happened to be a football legend. Whether you see it as humorous, uncomfortable, or just classic Donald Trump storytelling, the image is hard to shake: a presidential helicopter, a son-in-law sitting quietly, and a former president repeating, “Tom Brady. Tom Brady.”