Trump praises Tiger Woods for showing ‘great class’ in answer about Trump
Woods chose to sidestep political controversy, saying he respects the office of the presidency
US President Donald Trump had kind words for Tiger Woods on Sunday morning, again praising the golfer for his comments last week about respecting the office of the president.
Asked last week about the Trump administration’s policies, Woods chose to sidestep political controversy, stressing that he has respect for the office occupied by Trump, whom he knows personally and with whom he has played golf.
“Well, he’s the president of the United States. You have to respect the office,” Woods said last Sunday. “No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike (a) personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”
Trump offered an appreciative tweet in response last week, and brought up Woods’ comments again during a Thursday rally in Indiana.
“Tiger! Did you see the fake news tried to fake out Tiger? They didn’t do too well,” Trump said then. “Tiger’s sharp.”
The US president continued in that vein with two Sunday morning tweets, writing: “Tiger Woods showed great class in the way he answered the question about the Office of the Presidency and me. Now they say the so-called ‘left’ is angry at him. So sad, but the ‘center & right’ loves Tiger, Kanye, George Foreman, Jim Brown & so many other greats even more . …
“The fact is that African/American unemployment is now the lowest in the history of our country,” Trump wrote. “Same with Asian, Hispanic and almost every other group. The Democrats have been all talk and no action. My Administration has already produced like no other, and everyone sees it!”
The tweets followed Woods’ unexpected entrance into the political news cycle, which began when he was asked about his relationship with Trump after his final round in the Northern Trust tournament last weekend.
“Well, I’ve known Donald for a number of years,” Woods said. “We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency, and obviously during his presidency.”
Trump blasted the “fake news media” after that exchange, while praising Woods’s muted response.
“Tiger wouldn’t play the game – he is very smart,” the president tweeted on Monday. “More importantly, he is playing great golf again!”
Like Woods, retired golfer Jack Nicklaus has a relationship with Trump that predates his presidency. Although Woods studiously avoids politics, Nicklaus endorsed Trump, with whom he has played golf and for whom he has designed courses, saying in 2016, “I like what Donald has done. I like that he’s turning America upside down. He’s awakening the country. We need a lot of that.”
Last week, he applauded Woods’ “very appropriate” stance.
I couldn’t agree with Tiger more
“I couldn’t have agreed with Tiger more,” Nicklaus said, when asked about Woods’ remark during an interview with the Golf Channel. “Whether it’s Barack Obama or Donald Trump in the office of the president, you respect the office.”
Reporters have long tried to pin down Woods about his politics, with few results. He has golfed with George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and joined Trump (along with Dustin Johnson and Brad Faxon) at Mar-a-Lago last fall. Woods spoke at Obama’s 2009 inaugural celebration, and was unusually expressive after Obama was elected to his first term.
“I think it’s absolutely incredible,” Woods told CNBC at the time. “He represents America. He’s multiracial. I was hoping it would happen in my lifetime. My father was hoping it would happen in his lifetime, but he didn’t get to see it. I’m lucky enough to have seen a person of colour in the White House.”
