Tristan Thompson and Eric Trump Are Closer Than You Think

Here is a crossover I did not have on my bingo card: Tristan Thompson says he is tight with Eric Trump. Not casual, not occasional, but very close. He dropped this on the Tuesday, March 31 episode of the "Katie Miller" podcast and framed Eric as a legit mentor who has been pushing him toward politics.

What Tristan actually said

Thompson, 35, called the friendship one people would not expect, and said Eric, 42, has been welcoming from day one. He did not get into how they first met, but he made it sound like the relationship goes beyond golf-course small talk. According to Tristan, Eric has pulled him into rooms and conversations he might not have touched otherwise.

"He has been like a very big brother, a mentor. Especially in the political world, he put his arm around me and it motivated me to want to dive into this realm more."

Translation: Thompson is not just brushing up against politics because it is in the news; he is getting nudged in that direction by someone in the family.

The White House two-fer

When the podcast asked if any celebrity ever left him starstruck, Tristan did not go with an athlete. He went presidential. He said he was genuinely excited to meet President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama when the Cleveland Cavaliers visited the White House after winning the 2016 NBA Championship. His mom was there, which made it a big moment for him.

And here is the part that feels like a scene from a TV crossover episode: on that same day, right after Donald Trump won the 2016 election, Tristan says he saw Trump walking the back halls during what was Trump’s first trip to the White House. Obama was on his way to meet the Cavs; Trump was there for meetings as the incoming president. Two presidents, one hallway, one NBA team photo op. Wild timing, but it tracks with that post-election window before the administration changed hands.

Who is who (the quick version)

• Eric Trump, 42: businessman, political activist, and apparently Tristan’s very close friend and mentor.
• Donald Trump, 79: father of Donald Jr., 48, Eric, and Ivanka, 44, with late ex-wife Ivana Trump; Tiffany, 32, with ex-wife Marla Maples; and Barron, 20, with wife Melania Trump.
• Tristan Thompson’s family tree (for the reality-TV crowd): daughter True, 7, and son Tatum, 3, with ex Khloe Kardashian; son Prince, 9, with Jordan Craig; and son Theo, 4, with Maralee Nichols.

Context check

Obama served as the 44th President from 2009 to 2017. Donald Trump became the 45th in 2017 after the 2016 election. After Trump left office in 2021, Joe Biden became the 46th. In January 2025, Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office as the 47th President.

Bottom line: Tristan’s got championship rings, a high-profile reality-TV adjacent life, and now a surprisingly close tie to Eric Trump that is pulling him toward politics. Unexpected? Very. But he sounds all-in on where that mentorship might lead.