Tom Brady’s Complicated Friendship with Donald Trump “A Timeline of Controversies”
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Tom Brady has been a “good friend” of Donald Trump since the politician first invited him to play golf. However, maintaining a friendship with a public figure like Trump, who often courts controversy, has not been easy. This was evident during a press conference when a reporter asked Brady to comment on Trump’s infamous ‘locker room talk.’
In 2016, when Trump’s Access Hollywood tape was leaked by The Washington Post, Trump faced severe backlash for his remarks about women. The tape captured him having a lewd conversation with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush in 2005, where he boasted about grabbing women by their genitals. Trump dismissed the remarks as “locker room talk,” but the fallout was significant.
Brady, a friend of Trump, chose not to comment or condemn the tape during a 2016 press conference. When a journalist asked, “Tom, you have kids of your own – how would you respond if your kids heard Donald Trump’s version of locker room talk?” Brady ended the media interaction abruptly, saying with a smile, “Thank you guys, have a good day,” and walked off the stage, according to the Daily Mail.
The situation worsened for Brady when a red MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat was spotted in his Patriots’ locker. When reporters asked if he supported Trump’s presidential run in 2016, Brady responded, “I hope so. That would be great. There’d be a putting green on the White House lawn. I know that.” Trump took this as an endorsement, though Brady later clarified it was just an “offhand” comment.
Brady described his friendship with Trump to Variety, recalling how he was “so young” when Trump invited him to golf. “This was 17 or 18 years ago. I got to go to a private golf course. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.” He also clarified that the media has “mischaracterized a lot” about his past friendship with Trump, noting, “I haven’t talked to him in a lot of years.”
Brady acknowledged his friendship with Trump in 2015 on WEEI-FM, saying, “Donald is a good friend of mine. I have known him for a long time. I support all my friends. That is what I have to say. He’s a good friend of mine. He’s always been so supportive of me – for the last 15 years.”
By 2022, Brady distanced himself from Trump’s controversial remarks, stating it’s not his personality to insult others. “I have plenty of my own flaws. I’m not here to point out anyone else’s flaws. There are things that I agree with. There are things that I don’t. And I’m not responsible for what other people say. I’m really responsible for what I say.”
Despite their past friendship, Brady has made it clear that his values differ significantly from Trump’s, especially when it comes to public discourse and mutual respect.
