Lexi Thompson and Donald Trump: LPGA Star’s Close Friendship With the Former POTUS Explored

Lexi Thompson and former US President Donald Trump met for the first time when neither of them was known for what they are today. The LPGA Pro was still a kid of 14 and Trump was quite a few years away from the White House when they met in 2009, at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championship at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Let’s not forget that Thompson had to face the internet’s wrath for her good rapport with the former POTUS. Thompson withdrew from social media a few weeks after playing golf with Trump in 2019. Nevertheless, four years after that incident, the 11-time LPGA Tour winner still sounded glad to have met the ex-president.

Last year, Thompson spoke to the Palm Beach Post about Donald Trump and what her friendship with the ex-president meant to her. She said, “I’ve played with Mr. Trump quite a bit being out here 10-plus years. I’ve seen him out a lot, played a lot of rounds with him. He’s a big supporter of women’s golf and my family as well. We’re forever grateful of that friendship.” Asked further about Trump’s golf game, the 29-year-old had more praise for the former POTUS.

She said, “He drives it straight. I’m always on his team. We make a good team. He’s a pretty good golfer—not too bad. And he absolutely loves the game. Just a big supporter of golf.” In 2016, Thompson revealed she was a member of Trump’s club in South Florida and had played golf with him six times at that point.

The 11-time LPGA Tour winner was at the Trump International Golf Club, only a few miles from the Park. Despite meeting 15 years ago, time hasn’t weighed too heavily on their friendship. But these words were a departure from her rather diplomatic answer in a 2016 interview.

Interestingly, in a previous interview with CBS, she was rather tactful in her response. Asked about her rounds with Trump, Thompson said, “Trump International and Palm Beach is my home course, so I played with him a few times. He’s been extremely nice to my brothers and I and my family. He loves golf. He’s a big supporter of golf so yeah it was… entertaining.”

Thompson has played with Trump a number of times in the last decade. However, her camaraderie with Trump wasn’t well received across the golf community, as many fans lambasted Thompson for what they deemed a tacit approval of his controversial actions.

When Thompson landed in the crosshairs of golf fans
Back in 2019, then 24-year-old Thompson teed up alongside Trump and conservative radio host and political commentator, Rush Limbaugh at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Thompson received backlash on social media after the White House released a picture of the trio together. Many on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram expressed their disappointment at her choice of playing partner.