Kai Trump called Tiger Woods one of her biggest inspirations - weeks after his DUI arrest

Kai Trump often makes headlines due to being President Donald Trump’s granddaughter and frequently attending his events. However, politics are not her passion — the 19-year-old is much more interested in golfing and being a social media influencer.

She recently attended the 2026 ESPY Awards. While there, she revealed that she looks up to Tiger Woods, who was arrested earlier this year for driving under the influence.

Kai said Tiger has inspired her to “be a better person.”

While Kai didn’t go into a ton of detail, it sounds like her admiration for Tiger goes beyond the sport they both enjoy. Us Weekly asked her to name someone who has inspired her over the past year, and she said Tiger.

“He’s inspired me a lot,” Kai said. “Just to be a better person, better golfer, and stuff like that.”

The entertainment outlet asked Kai if she’s “had any conversations with him about it,” and she replied, “Of course, yeah.”

She shared the “best piece of advice” Tiger has given her.

Kai told the entertainment outlet that Tiger told her to “just keep being you and just live life.” When the reporter pressed for more details by asking Kai what it’s like to have a mentor in her life (Tiger is also dating Kai’s mom, Vanessa Trump), Kai didn’t elaborate.

She simply described Tiger as “amazing.” Reacting to the clip on TikTok, some critics immediately had questions, considering Tiger’s recent DUI arrest. After his arrest, he went to Switzerland for rehab. He returned to the United States in June and made his first public appearance since the arrest on June 23, per People.

Critics on TikTok argued that Tiger doesn’t necessarily seem like the best role model for a young golfer. “that might be the worst answer i’ve ever heard to that question,” one commenter wrote.

Someone else said, “Tiger… inspired her to be a better person?” But Trump critics were not exactly surprised by this. “Only a TRUMP would have Tiger Woods as a role model,” another critic argued.

During the same interview, Kai spoke about trying to be a normal teenager in spite of all the attention she gets.

The Us Weekly reporter asked her about whether it’s difficult to deal with the heightened attention that has come from her family’s involvement in politics. Kai said it’s “interesting” but she has tried to “keep on living (her) life like a normal teenager.”

When asked what that looks like, Kai said that after the event, she would go home, spend time with her friends, and “do normal people stuff.”

“You’re just like us, right?” the reporter questioned. “100 percent,” Kai responded. In the past, Kai has spoken about how she feels people judge her simply because she’s a member of the Trump family.

While some people could feel for her on some level, especially because she’s young, others argued that she’s clearly benefited from being a Trump and has not distanced herself from her family in any way. Unlike the president’s youngest son, Barron Trump, Kai seems to enjoy being in the spotlight on some level, given that she documents her life on YouTube.

However, she told Us Weekly that she still maintains a private life as well, and that “balance” works for her.

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