How Trump is leveraging sports and sports culture for his political brand

Summary

Podcast Summary: "How Trump is Leveraging Sports and Sports Culture for His Political Brand"

Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Episode Date: December 28, 2025
Host: Tamara Kelly
Featured Guest: Christine Brennan, Sports Columnist at USA Today
Additional Commentary: Clay Travis, founder of Outkick

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Overview

This episode explores President Donald Trump’s unique relationship with American sports and how he actively leverages sporting events and sports culture to amplify his political brand. Drawing on perspectives from veteran sports columnist Christine Brennan and sports commentator Clay Travis, the episode examines Trump's hands-on involvement in major sporting events and the potential implications for future global competitions held in the United States.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Immersion in Sports Events

• Recent Engagement: Trump announced the launch of the "Patriot Games," a four-day national athletic competition for top high school athletes across the country.
• Visibility: Since returning to office, Trump has attended more than a dozen major sporting events in a single year, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, US Open, Ryder Cup, and UFC matches.
• Personal Interest:
  • Clay Travis highlights Trump’s genuine sports enthusiasm, noting his dual viewing setup on Air Force One:

    “He’s a huge sports fan. Like this isn’t fake. I think a lot of politicians pretend… I think this is Trump.” (01:40)

2. From Sports Critic to Sports Celebrity

• Contrast with First Term: Unlike his first term, when celebrations were sometimes canceled due to controversy (e.g., Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles declining a White House visit), Trump has now become a centerpiece at sporting events, often receiving warm receptions from athletes.
• White House Official: Remarks that event clips featuring Trump “go, quote, insanely viral.” (03:48)

3. Trump’s Personal Sports History and Branding

• Longevity in Sports Promotion:
  • Christine Brennan recalls covering the 1989 "Tour de Trump" cycling event, emphasizing Trump’s decades-long pattern of attaching his name to sports for visibility and branding:

    “Donald Trump has inserted himself and, and sponsored and supported sports in a way that I believe no other US President ever has. It takes it to a whole new level.” (04:25)

• Golf Empire: Owns 16 golf courses, with five more planned.

4. Sports Fandom, Ownership, and Motivations

• Team Loyalty: Trump is less a fan of specific teams and more interested in winning and ownership.
  • Christine Brennan:

    “As far as I know, I have not seen him root for anyone, although he owned the USFL team… So clearly, you know, if he owns something, I guess he’s a fan of it.” (05:50)

• Motivation: Sports offer competition, publicity, and the limelight—elements Trump thrives on as both a human being and a politician.

5. The Media Megaphone and Social Media Influence

• Trump’s expansive use of social media allows him unparalleled reach into the sports world, amplifying his presence even when not physically at events:

  “He can insert himself there in a way that sports fans are all over social media, so they’re reading every word.” (06:31)

6. Memorable Moments and Aggressive Visibility

• World Cup Club Finals: Trump lingered on stage alongside the trophy and players, resisting diplomatic nudges to step aside—a symbol of his desire to remain at the center of attention.
  • “He wouldn’t leave… he just wanted to be a part of all of it. So, you know, he’s in the pictures, he’s in the videos.” (07:11)

7. Upcoming Sports Calendar: A Presidency Centered on Global Sports

• Major Future Events:
  • Patriot Games, USA-hosted FIFA World Cup (2026), UFC Fight Night on South Lawn, NFL Draft on the National Mall, and 2028 LA Olympics.
• Historic Opportunity:
  • Christine Brennan:

    “This is his moment. Donald Trump has lived his entire life to have the good fortune… [for] these big sports events [to] come right to his doorstep. And he’s gonna take full advantage of that.” (08:19)

• Global Reach: Billions of viewers set the stage for Trump’s visibility far beyond traditional political platforms:

  “There’s no other venue, no other endeavor that will have the eyeballs that these sporting events will.” (09:36)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Clay Travis on Authentic Fandom:

  “I think a lot of politicians pretend to be sports fans… I think this is Trump.” (01:40)

• Christine Brennan on Trump and Sports:

  “Trump has inserted himself and, and sponsored and supported sports in a way that I believe no other US President ever has.” (04:25)

• Christine Brennan on Trump’s love of winning:

  “Donald Trump always wants to attach himself to winners. He’s everywhere.” (06:31)

• World Cup Incident:

  “He wouldn’t leave. And Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, was ushering him off the stage, and Trump stayed with the trophy lift.” (07:11)

• On Global Audience:

  “They estimate that 5 billion people watch the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games and the FIFA World cup will have billions as well.” (09:36)

• Summing Up Trump’s Opportunity:

  “This is his moment. Donald Trump has lived his entire life to have the good fortune and great luck to have these big sports events come right to his doorstep. And he’s gonna take full advantage of that.” (08:19)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:00: Overview of Trump's sports initiatives and recent attendance at events
• 03:48–04:12: Viral nature of Trump’s sports appearances; introduction of Christine Brennan
• 04:25–05:37: Trump’s decades of sports promotion; "Tour de Trump" anecdote
• 05:50–06:29: Discussion of Trump’s approach to sports fandom and winning
• 07:11–08:19: World Cup trophy incident and future event speculation
• 08:19–09:57: The alignment of global sports events with Trump’s presidency and implications

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Conclusion

This episode compellingly details how President Trump has elevated the traditional intersection of sports and politics. His authentic (and strategic) embrace of American sports culture, combined with a rare sports calendar aligned with his presidency, is amplifying his image on a domestic and global scale. The opportunity to leverage billions of viewers through iconic events marks a new era in presidential branding—one Christine Brennan describes as unprecedented and, perhaps, a culmination of Trump’s lifelong pursuit of the limelight.

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Guest Attribution:

• Christine Brennan, USA Today columnist and author of On Her Game
• Clay Travis, founder of Outkick

Host:

• Tamara Kelly

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Transcript

[Tamara Kelly]

This month, President Trump announced a new competition for young Americans.

[NPR Host/Reporter]

In the fall, we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes.

[Tamara Kelly]

One young man and one young woman from each state and territory will participate, he said. For the President, it's just the latest example of his keen interest in aligning his name with sports and sporting events. Trump had been in office less than a month when he went to the super bowl, making him the first sitting president to attend the big game. When Trump came up on the Jumbotron during the national anthem, he was met with a mix of cheers and jeers. A week later, he was at the Daytona 500. Then there was the US Open, the Ryder cup, two UFC matches. In all, more than a dozen major sporting events so far this year. He even went into the 5 broadcast booth during a Washington Commanders game.

[NPR Host/Reporter]

And let's see, we have a very important, I think this is a very important couple of plays.

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[Tamara Kelly]

It's a complete turnaround from his first term when Trump had to cancel a White House celebration for the super bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles because so few players wanted to attend. Now, seven years later, he hosts love fests with athletes in the Oval Office. Clay Travis is the founder of the sports website Outkick and he's written a book about Trump sports and politics. He said earlier this year when he flew on Air Force One with Trump, the President had Fox News on one TV and a UFC match on the other.

[Clay Travis]

He's a huge sports fan. Like this isn't fake. I think a lot of politicians pretend to be sports fans because they're trying to connect with the regular guy or regular gal out there who is a sports fan and it makes them seem like a normal person. I think this is Trump.

[Tamara Kelly]

Consider this. President Trump is using his position to access sporting events across the country and embed himself with teams and fans. He's leveraging sports and American sports culture to build up and amplify his political brand. It's K. Consider this from npr.

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[Tamara Kelly]

For President Trump, sporting events are a combination of good fun and good publicity. A senior White House official tells NPR that clips of the sporting events go, quote, insanely viral. Christine Brennan is a longtime sports columnist at USA Today and author of On Her Game. And she's here with us to discuss the president and his strong ties to sports.

[Christine Brennan]

Welcome, Tam. It's great to be with you. Thank you.

[Tamara Kelly]

So, Christine, you have been covering the intersection between sports and Donald Trump off and on for a very long time now. What do you make of that relationship?

[Christine Brennan]

Well, you're right about the long time. I actually covered something Tam in 1989 called the Tour de Trump, long forgotten. Yes, bicycle race, literally no one remembers maybe except me. And that ended in Atlantic City. And I was there at the press conference where Donald Trump was awarding the winner the trophy again, a short lived bike race. But the point is that Donald Trump has inserted himself and, and sponsored and supported sports in a way that I believe no other US President ever has. It takes it to a whole new level. And Donald Trump's message, whether people like it or not, well, they see him at a sporting event and they might have a good feeling about him as they see him on the field or giving out awards or whatever he's doing. So I think that's what Donald Trump has realized. And then of course, the big one for Donald Trump, the golf courses, 16 golf courses that already exist that he owns and then five more coming soon, according to the Trump website. So again, a man who is involved in sports almost as much as he's involved in politics on some days. And that's a remarkable thing to say.

[Tamara Kelly]

Can you just talk a little bit about his version of sports fandom, though? Because some people who are critical of him would say, is he even a fan of a single team? Does he root for anyone?

[Christine Brennan]

As far as I know, I have not seen him root for anyone, although he owned the USFL team and that's when he had Herschel Walker on his USFL team. So clearly, you know, if he owns something, I guess he's a fan of It. And that's where he wants to insert himself in sports as this national pastime. He has fun with sports. It's the competition that he loves, and of course, it's the cameras and the limelight that he gets. So I think sports gives Donald Trump so much of what he wants as a human being and certainly as a politician.

[Tamara Kelly]

And he loves a winner.

[Christine Brennan]

Oh, Donald Trump always wants to attach himself to winners. He's everywhere. And because he has social media, the way that, you know, presidents going back obviously had no megaphone, the way he does, he can insert himself there in a way that sports fans are all over social media, so they're reading every word. Even if he's not at the games, Donald Trump is making himself known in the sports world.

[Tamara Kelly]

I'm thinking about one particular event that happened this past year, the FIFA World Cup Club Finals, where President Trump was there to present the trophy, and. And then he didn't leave the stage, and he was just there with the players.

[Christine Brennan]

Exactly. He wouldn't leave. And Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, was ushering him off the stage, and Trump stayed with the trophy lift, and he just wanted to be a part of all of it. So, you know, he's in the pictures, he's in the videos. What this portends, potentially for the FIFA Men's World cup next summer in the United States, also Mexico and Canada, and also then for the LA Olympics in 2028. Trump will still be president then. What does this portend in terms of what Trump's role will be and how he will insert himself in ways that we have never, ever seen a US president do before?

[Tamara Kelly]

Yeah. As you say, 2026 and then 2028, this is going to be a huge presidency for sports. You now have the Patriot Games. The US Is hosting the World Cup. Trump is hosting a UFC fight night on the South Lawn White House. The following year, you'll have the NFL draft in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall, and then the Olympics. So what are you watching for?

[Christine Brennan]

Certainly, the stars have aligned on the sports calendar perfectly for Donald Trump. Again, presidents have played golf. Presidents had college sports backgrounds. Gerald Ford comes to mind. Ronald Reagan, even, you know, going back to Teddy Roosevelt, he actually saved football by having the forward pass invented back in 1905. But, you know, I think, again, with Donald Trump, it has worked out absolutely perfectly for him at these events, whether they're national events or international events in the United States, or even if he decides to travel around the world and go to certain other sporting events, then the focus will be on Donald Trump more than it would ever be on any president, whether it's the opening match or the final match or or again the Olympic Games in la, where we can only imagine what he might want to do, then the cameras will be on him much more than they would normally be on a president. This is his moment. Donald Trump has lived his entire life to have the good fortune and great luck to have these big sports events come right to his doorstep. And he's gonna take full advantage of that.

[Tamara Kelly]

And we are talking about billions of eyeballs, billions of people watching these events around the world.

[Christine Brennan]

Oh, for sure. I mean, they estimate that 5 billion people watch the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games and the FIFA World cup will have billions as well. So it's an audience unlike any other. There's no other venue, no other endeavor that will have the eyeballs that these sporting events will.

[Tamara Kelly]

Christine Brennan is a longtime sports columnist at USA Today and author of the book on her Game. Thanks for being with us.

[Christine Brennan]

Oh, my pleasure. Thanks so much.

[Tamara Kelly]

This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre and Henry Larson. It was edited by Sarah Robbins, Rebecca Metzler and Dana Farrington. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Tamara Kelly.

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