After the bombshell announcement of the Los Angeles Lakers sale on Wednesday, fans are already fuming over the potential for outside political influence. Early on Wednesday it was announced that Mark Walter, who had bought the Lakers back in 2025, was selling the team to a consortium helmed by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. Iger, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and Kushner, the founder of VC firm Thrive Capital, purchased the team for $12.5billion. Walter sold the Lakers, the team he purchased for $10billion in June of 2025, amidst a federal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and FBI into suspected loan fraud. 

Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, who served as a senior advisor in the White House during Trump's first term. While rumors on social media suggest Walter's sale may be done to help with the investigation he is facing, many others feared the possible influence Trump may have on the Lakers through the brother of his son-in-law. 'We're all thinking the same thing, right? Trump basically just bought the Lakers,' read one user's post on X.

Another said: 'Lakers are [a part] of the Trump/Kushner family empire now.' 'Just so much here to unpack. The Mark Walter stuff probably has some major legs … look at what Kushner & his PE firm is doing to EA Sports … how long until Trump is involved with the Lakers?

More Private equity, awesome,' wrote one Knicks fan. While there is a familial relationship between Jared and Josh, it's believed that the two have differing political views. Jared is married to Ivanka Trump and currently holds the role of United States Special Envoy for Peace Missions in the Trump White House. As for Josh, he and his wife, model Karlie Kloss, are believed to have more left-leaning politics. While Walter has successfully sold the Lakers, he plans to keep his role as the head of Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group that owns the Los Angeles Dodgers.