Donald Trump, Jake Paul
Screenshot
President Donald Trump told YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul that he once broke up a fight involving late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
On Friday, Paul published his full 27-minute-long interview with the president on social media, which was taped on Wednesday. Their conversation covered a wide range of topics, including the ongoing war against Iran and the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
At one point in their talk, Paul — who’s made a name for himself in the boxing world due to a number of high-profile matches — asked Trump if he’d ever been in a fight. That’s when Trump detailed the time be allegedly played peacekeeper to stop Bryant from getting into it with someone else.
The conversation continued:
PAUL: Have you ever been in a fight? I heard a rumor about you, like, helping Kobe one time at a game. Is that a true story?
TRUMP: It was a long time ago.
PAUL: Is this is a true story?
TRUMP: Well, it wasn’t a fight. I was breaking up a fight–
PAUL: OK, OK.
TRUMP: –which sometimes is more dangerous than being in a fight, right? I like Kobe. Kobe was having a hard time with somebody and it worked out fine, but yeah, I broke it up. Probably not a smart thing to do. Historically, it’s never good to break up fights.
.@jakepaul: Have you ever been in a fight? I heard a rumor about you helping Kobe one time.@POTUS: "I was breaking up a fight… Kobe was having a hard time with somebody, and it worked out fine, but yeah, I broke it up." pic.twitter.com/hCKBnYhOzf
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 13, 2026
Paul also asked Trump who he believes Paul should face in his next fight. Trump encouraged him to take on retired Russian MMA star Kkabib Nurmagomedov.
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