AP/Frank Franklin
Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour confirmed in a letter Thursday that President Donald Trump jokingly asked “whether he would have been invited [to the company’s box at the U.S. Open men’s finals] had it not been for the tariffs,” referring to his August implementation of a 39% tariff rate for Switzerland.
On Wednesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to Dufour, questioning whether the company invited Trump to the men’s finals match in early September as a “play to wiggle out of the 39% tariff.” She went on to write that the move “raises questions about whether you are cultivating a relationship with President Trump in attempts to secure lucrative tariff exemptions for Rolex products.”
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The senator asked Rolex to provide details on how the invitation was arranged, what conversations took place with Trump or his family during the match, and whether any trade or tariff issues were discussed. She also pressed the company to disclose whether it has offered gifts, political support, or sought preferential treatment from the administration.
In a Thursday follow-up letter to Warren’s inquiry, obtained by MeidasTouch, Dufour defended the company’s decision to host the president, emphasizing that the invitation was part of Rolex’s longstanding sponsorship of the U.S. Open and was not motivated by political considerations.
He went on to acknowledge Trump’s comment about whether he would have been invited “had it not been for the tariffs,” but noted the remark was met with laughter and quickly brushed aside. According to Dufour, no substantive discussion of trade policy or tariffs occurred during the event. He also underscored that only Trump himself received token gifts — a golf sweater and sports gilet — aside from Secret Service agents who accepted branded caps as they left.
Read a copy of the letter below, via @MeidasTouch on X.
EXCLUSIVE: Rolex says Trump “joked” his invite to their private box at the U.S. Open was to get favorable tariff terms for Switzerland, a quip that “brought a round of laughter all around.” pic.twitter.com/2Hf8I2gs0l — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) September 26, 2025
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The post Rolex Confirms Trump Joked Invite to US Open Box Was to Get Favorable Tariffs for Switzerland first appeared on Mediaite.
[SRC] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rolex-confirms-trump-joked-invite-192524979.html
