NEWSGavin Newsom Exposes Who Donald Trump Really Wanted Daughter Ivanka to Marry
President Donald Trump gossiped with Gov. Gavin Newsom about his ideal son-in-law.
Feb. 26 2026, Published 8:55 p.m. ET
Jared Kushner wasn’t President Donald Trump’s first-choice husband for daughter Ivanka, according to a juicy new memoir by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom writes in his new book, Young Man in a Hurry, that during his first meeting with Donald Trump in 2018, the president lamented that he envisioned football player Tom Brady as preferred his son-in-law — and he had no issues telling Kushner so.
The governor met the president following the devastating California wildfires, during which time Trump infamously suggested raking and cleaning forest floors as prevention.
Donald Trump Really Wanted Ivanka to Marry Tom Brady
Tom Brady never dated Ivanka Trump but her dad wished she did.
Gavin said he was sitting with the president and Jared on Marine One when Donald recalled trying to set up Tom and Ivanka, according to an excerpt obtained by The Atlantic.
Trump admitted that he was disappointed when he found out she was already dating Kushner.
“In front of the governor and future governor of California, Trump was making his son-in-law feel two feet tall,” Gavin writes. “And Kushner just let him do it.”
There could be reasons Jared lets his father-in-law get away with these things.
His own father, Charles, spent two years in federal prison for tax evasion, witness retaliation and other charges before receiving a full pardon in December 2020 from President Trump — who then appointed him as the current ambassador to Monaco and France.
Ivanka and Jared Kushner Live on Miami's 'Billionaire Bunker'
The Kushner family has profited heavily off their ties to the president.
Jared, whose billionaire brother, Josh, is married to supermodel Karlie Kloss, also reached billionaire status earlier this year through his private equity firm, which has drawn scrutiny over investments secured after his time in the Trump administration.
Jared and Ivanka, married since 2009, live in a swanky, $24 million estate on Florida’s ultra-exclusive Indian Creek Island, known as the Billionaire Bunker, with their three children.
Tom — who was previously married to supermodel Gisele Bündchen for 13 years before their 2022 divorce — may not have really been President Trump’s first choice for his favorite daughter, however.
- Donald Trump Tried To Intimidate Jared Kushner By Telling Him Tom Brady Was Also Interested In Ivanka
- Gavin Newsom's Sister Hilary Shades His Ex-Wife Kimberly Guilfoyle in California Governor's New Memoir: 'Her Need for Attention Could Not Be Met'
- Donald Trump Wrote Nasty Letter To Jared Kushner Over His Low Ranking Status On New York Observer's 'Power List'
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Donald Trump Has Made Cringe Comments About Marrying His Own Daughter
Jared Kushner and Ivanka have been married since 2009.
“I’ve said that if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I would be dating her,” President Trump once famously said.
“If I weren’t happily married and, ya know, her father ...” he added in a 2015 Rolling Stone interview.
Gov. Newsom, meanwhile, was previously married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, the ex-girlfriend of Ivanka’s brother Donald Jr.
Donald Trump Has Said 'Gavin's a Good Guy'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is one of President Trump's most popular online trolls.
Despite Gavin being one of the POTUS’ most popular online trolls, Donald has expressed an ephemeral admiration for him.
"We used to get along so great with Gavin when I was president. Gavin’s a good guy," Trump admitted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Newsom upstaged him. "We’re going to [help him] if he needs it. I would do it in a heartbeat. I’d love to… we did help them a lot in Los Angeles, a lot with the early in my term, [they] had some problems, but we would love to do it."
