California Governor Gavin Newsom is drawing attention after alleging that President Donald Trump once told him NFL icon Tom Brady was the “one who got away” and should have married Ivanka Trump — a claim Newsom is now circulating while promoting his new book and raising his national profile ahead of 2028 speculation.
In a passage from his newly released memoir Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, California Governor Gavin Newsom describes what he calls an uncomfortable first encounter with President Donald Trump in 2018 aboard the presidential helicopter Marine One during Trump’s first term, according to a Daily Mail report. Newsom writes that while the two discussed the devastating California wildfires at the time, the conversation unexpectedly veered into personal territory — with the president allegedly bringing up his eldest daughter Ivanka and what Newsom portrays as a missed romantic opportunity involving NFL star Tom Brady.
“Donald Trump Lamented Jared Kushner Ruining His Daughter Ivanka’s Chance To Date Tom Brady While Kushner Was Sitting Right There – Report” – BroBible #SmartNews 😂😂😂 https://t.co/xJhUmcixav
— George Leroy Tirebiter (@GeorgeLerofim) February 26, 2026
Gavin Newsom writes that the president was initially praising Tom Brady’s football greatness when, as he describes it, “his riff took a strange turn.” According to Gavin Newsom, the president claimed that Brady once approached him for Ivanka’s phone number.
“He recounted that when Brady was single, the two of them were at a function and Brady expressed an interest in dating his daughter Ivanka,” Gavin Newsom continued. “The quarterback asked for her number, and the president gave it to him. Brady called Ivanka and left a message, but she never called him back.” Newsom adds, “Soon after, Brady related the snub to the president, who then called his daughter, wondering what was up.”
Trump once urged Ivanka to return Brady’s call, allegedly saying: “I said, Jesus, you know, Tom Brady. What the hell is going on? Why aren’t you calling this guy back?” Trump purportedly continued, “And she tells me, ‘Oh, I’m in love.’ What do you mean you’re in love? And that’s when she mentions this guy.”
Gavin Newsom said Trump then pointed toward Jared Kushner and added, “This guy right here. This Kushner guy: I said to Ivanka, Not the guy whose father just got out of prison?”
He further alleged that Kushner responded with composure, saying, “Yes, sir. I know I wasn’t your first choice.” Newsom claims Trump then turned to him and added, “Not even close, right, Gavin? Tom Brady. Tom Brady.”
Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner — a real estate developer — previously served 14 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges including tax evasion, witness tampering, and illegal campaign contributions. The episode has long been a matter of public record.
Kushner first met Ivanka Trump in 2005 through mutual acquaintances, and the pair married in 2009. Their marriage predates Trump’s presidential campaigns and has remained a central part of the Trump family’s public and political life.
The couple share three children: daughter Arabella Rose, 14, and sons Joseph Frederick, 12, and Theodore James, nine. Ivanka and Kushner both served as senior advisers during Trump’s first administration and have maintained a visible presence in his inner circle.
Donald Trump’s First Pick for Ivanka Trump Was Tom Brady Not Jared Kushner https://t.co/gsDfb1edb4
— Vincent Tiberi (@VincentMTiberi) February 26, 2026
Trump and Brady, meanwhile, have enjoyed a well-documented friendship spanning years. Brady attended Trump’s 2005 wedding and was publicly associated with Trump during the 2016 campaign cycle. Trump has frequently praised Brady’s championship success and competitive drive.
Tom Brady retired as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history, with seven Super Bowl titles and numerous records cementing his legacy. Brady, however, previously addressed speculation about dating Ivanka during a 2020 interview with Howard Stern. Stern asked him directly: “Trump always dreamed of you marrying Ivanka, and he told me he suggested it to you — but did you ever go out with her?”
Brady shut down the idea. “That was a long time ago in my life… No, there was never that, where we ever dated or anything like that,” he said, making clear that no relationship ever developed.
Instead, Brady went on to build a high-profile marriage with Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. The pair tied the knot in February 2009 and went on to welcome two children together — son Benjamin, now 16, and daughter Vivian, now 13. After more than a decade of marriage, Brady and Bündchen finalized their divorce in October 2022.
Since his split from Bündchen, Brady has been linked to several prominent women, including Kim Kardashian, Irina Shayk, and Alix Earle, though none of those rumored relationships have resulted in remarriage.
Gavin Newsom’s retelling of the alleged exchange has surfaced as he promotes his book nationally. Though he has not formally announced a 2028 presidential bid, his expanded media presence and pointed anecdotes about the president have fueled speculation about future ambitions.
Neither the president nor members of his family have publicly responded to Gavin Newsom’s most recent claims. For now, the story remains rooted in Newsom’s recollection — delivered as part of a book promotion tour that has once again placed the Trump family, and one of football’s greatest icons, Tom Brady, at the center of a political media storm.
