Tristan Thompson's White House Visit Baffles Fans: 'Why Though?'

Tristan Thompson is raising eyebrows after making an unexpected stop at the White House.

On Thursday, March 26, the NBA veteran visited the James Brady Press Briefing Room to discuss protecting student-athletes and their financial futures. During his appearance, Thompson, a 2016 NBA champion and former college standout, addressed issues surrounding NIL capital and how to better support athletes beyond their playing careers.

In a clip shared on X by Margo Martin, a Special Assistant and Communications Advisor to Donald Trump — and later reposted by Thompson — the athlete responded to a question about how he plans to help students.

"We want to create a program for them," Thompson said. "We need to create a system to protect them."

He echoed the message in the caption, writing, “Let’s protect these college athletes 💪🏾.”

Still, not everyone was convinced. Critics quickly flooded social media, questioning why Thompson was speaking on the topic in the first place.

“Why tho lol,” one user wrote.

Another added, “Afraid Trump will be sending him back to Canada for something illegal, so it's that Nicki Minaj citizenship moment 🤡🤡.”

A third questioned, “Is he planning a career in politics?”

“A cheating loser… congratulations,” another commented.

“Isn’t this n----- Canadian?” a fifth asked.

Meanwhile, a separate Snapchat photo showed Thompson posing alongside Vice President J.D. Vance — which only added fuel to the online chatter.

After seeing the image, one critic wrote, "Never was a Tristan Thompson fan but this seals it...Yuck."

"Embarrassing," another added, while a third chimed in, "What a clown."

Another user noted, "That many exclamation marks is crazy."

Away from the political noise, Thompson’s personal life is also making headlines — particularly when it comes to raising children with Khloé Kardashian.

“The hardest part of co-parenting is…I’m sure this is going to sound nuts, but I just think [my children are] mine. I’m like, ‘I have to run this by someone else and get permission?’” she said on her podcast. “Obviously, that’s the right thing to do, and of course, the kids have a dad, but in my head, I’m the mom. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt my kids or put them in harm’s way. That’s how I think.”

She added, “Tristan knows that, and Tristan is great with trusting me. He knows who I am as a parent.”

Still, she admitted it’s not always easy.

“But it’s still a struggle for me sometimes that I have to remind myself, ‘Oh yeah, I have to ask for permission. Oh, okay, I have to get this letter signed because he’s the dad.’ If I have to take them out of the country, he has to sign a waiver. That’s just how I feel in my head, so for me, that’s the hardest part,” the reality star continued.

The former couple shares two children — True, 7, and Tatum, 3 — and their relationship has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years.

Kardashian first discovered Thompson had been unfaithful just days before giving birth to their daughter in 2018. Then, in 2022, while their surrogate was pregnant with Tatum, it was revealed that Thompson had fathered a child with Maralee Nichols.

Despite everything, Kardashian recently revealed she’s still thinking about expanding her family.

“I don’t think I have the energy for another baby, but I do think girls need sisters. It’s how I was raised,” she said. “Tatum is going to be fine, but a girl needs her sister. Maybe because that was my experience. I don’t know if I emotionally can handle this. It’s just been a thought. I’ve just been thinking about it.”