Donald Trump And O.J. Simpson's Ups And Downs, Explained
O.J. Simpson and Donald Trump had a lot to say about one another through the years. During an interview in December 2022, Simpson spoke about his former friendship with Trump. "The Donald I knew, not the president. He had a great sense of humor. He could laugh at himself, and he told great stories," Simpson said on the "Full Send" podcast at the time. "We were very friendly acquaintances, and I gotta tell you, I liked him," he added. The former NFL running back was even invited to Trump's wedding to Marla Maples in 1993. While Simpson looked back fondly on their time together, Trump was critical of his acquaintance after Simpson's infamous murder trial.
Trump was fairly candid about his relationship with Simpson when appearing on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2008. He spoke about how Simpson's name was considered for "Celebrity Apprentice," at one time. "I hadn't spoken to him in years, I don't like people that kill their wives. Does that make sense? Does that make me a disloyal person?" Trump told Howard Stern (via CNN). On another episode of "The Howard Stern Show" which aired four years earlier, in 2004, Trump spoke about seeing Simpson and his ex-wife Nicole Brown argue in a restaurant. He joked that made Simpson "kill her," and also mentioned how Brown had called the police on Simpson on six different occasions.
Years later, Trump openly spoke about how he believed Simpson was guilty of killing his wife.
O.J. Simpson's legal advice for Donald Trump
Donald Trump used the trial of Oscar Pistorious in 2014, who was eventually found guilty of killing his wife, as an excuse to mention O.J. Simpson's murder trial. "Oscar Pistorious, 'the blade runner,' is as guilty as O.J.," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in April 2014. A few months later, when Pistorious was initially found not guilty, Trump blasted his former friend again. "No one has been more guilty since O.J.!" he tweeted. Despite being thrown under the bus by his former friend, Simpson had fond memories of his time with Trump.
Even though Simpson could not vote while in prison, he spoke about whether he would have cast his ballot for Trump. "Somebody asked me if I'd have voted for him. Probably not, but I only know two of my friends I'd vote to be president," the former NFL player told The Buffalo News in March 2018. "The one thing I can say about The Donald is The Donald is fun," he added. When Trump faced legal issues for a sexual battery case in 2023, Simpson offered advice for his one-time acquaintance. "Do not talk about the case publicly. Do not do interviews about the case," Simpson said in video posted to X in June.
Only months before Simpson died, he mentioned Trump in another video posted to X — while addressing rumors he was in hospice. "I guess it's like 'The Donald' says, 'You can't trust the media," Simpson joked in the social media clip uploaded in February.