President Trump Discusses Friendships With Black Athletes During White House Black History Month Event

Before he ran for President of the United States, Donald Trump wasn't branded a racist. And he tried to remind hundreds of black leaders and supporters of exactly that during a White House event to celebrate Black History Month on Wednesday. 

The event was held, in part, to reflect on the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand economic opportunity, strengthen education, and promote justice for Americans.

"Through targeted policies and broad reforms, President Trump has prioritized initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to black families while ensuring prosperity is accessible to every American citizen — fostering a stronger nation united by shared success for all," the White House said in a statement.

Donald Trump, Jesse Jackson, Don King and Muhammad Ali ringside at Tyson vs Holmes at Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 27, 1988. (Photo by Jeffrey Asher/ Getty Images)

Trump Talks About Ali And Tyson

The event included a prepared speech from Trump.

But perhaps the most sports-minded president in the history of the Republic turned the event into a uniquely Trump experience as he went off-script and told the gathering of his relationship with athletes he calls friends.

"Muhammad Ali was a friend of mine," said Trump, who bragged about the photograph of himself and the former World Heavyweight Champion he apparently treasures.

"Mike Tyson, boy, I tell you. Mike's been loyal to me," Trump continued. "Whenever they come out they say, ‘Trump’s a racist!' Mike Tyson comes out and says, ‘He’s not a racist. He's my friend. He's been there from the beginning, good times and bad.' But Mike Tyson's a great guy, and he's been loyal, always so loyal."

Trump has always been a big boxing fan and that has come to include UFC events in recent years, but football and golf had a very special place in the president's ad-lib storytelling.

"And Herschel Walker, speaking about loyal, how good a football player was Herschel?" Trump said to the gathering.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Herschel Walker, former football player and US Ambassador to the Bahamas (R) at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 20, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump: None Better Than Jim Brown

Trump endorsed Walker in the United States Senate race from the state of Georgia, but he lost the election. Trump then made him the United States ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas – although Trump seems to have forgotten exactly where he asked the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner to serve.

" He's been loyal to me. Now he's ambassador to the Bahamas. I don't know, Bahamas, Bermuda. Whatever. It's a nice place …"

Trump then talked about Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who passed away in May of 2023.

"A friend who became, really, he liked Trump was Jim Brown," the President said. "He was tough. He was very silent. Silent but deadly. He'd come in and he'd look at people and if he didn't like them, he'd just look at me and go, ‘no good.’ He wanted to rip their heart out. I can't say there would be a better football, greater football player than Jim Brown."

So that was it.

No, it wasn't. Trump moved on to Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.

President Donald Trump, left, and Lawrence Taylor, former New York Giants linebacker, during an executive order signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Lawrence Taylor A Trump Friend 

"Great friend. Lawrence Taylor, the greatest defensive player probably in the history of football. He's a great friend of mine … But I'm longer off the tee than him. You know why? Because I take the club back further.

"He takes the club back this far," Trump said separating one hand from another about 12 inches. "He hits it 200 yards. When you can do that, you're strong. He's a great guy, I'll tell you that."