Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, has been accused of cheating at golf by several sources, including sports writer Rick Reilly and actor Samuel L. Jackson.
The accusations stem from Trump’s alleged tendency to bend the rules while playing the game, and have been made by individuals who have played golf with him in the past.
It’s no secret that Trump is a fan of the sport, owning a total of 17 golf courses around the world and having a reported handicap of 2.8.
Pro golfer Jack Nicklaus once said, “Trump loves the game of golf more than he loves money,” highlighting the former President’s passion for the sport.
However, this love for the game has not been without controversy, as several individuals have come forward with allegations of cheating.
Sports writer Rick Reilly, who has played golf with Trump in the past, wrote an entire book about the former President’s alleged cheating, titled “Commanders in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.”
In the book, Reilly states, “If Trump is a 2.8, Queen Elizabeth is a pole vaulter,” and adds, “To say ‘Donald Trump cheats’ is like saying ‘Michael Phelps swims’… He cheats at the highest level. He cheats when people are watching and he cheats when they aren’t. He cheats whether you like it or not. He cheats because that’s how he plays golf.”
Actor Samuel L. Jackson also made similar allegations in 2016, saying, “I played a few games with the former President and when asked who the better golfer was between the two, he replied, “Oh, I am, for sure. I don’t cheat.”
Trump responded to the interview in his usual fashion, taking to Twitter to write, “I don’t know @SamuelLJackson, to best of my knowledge haven’t played golf w/him & think he does too many TV commercials—boring. Not a fan.”
Rock legend Alice Cooper made similar statements in a 2012 interview with Q magazine, saying, “The worst celebrity golf cheat? I wish I could tell you that. It would be a shocker. I played with Donald Trump one time. That’s all I’m going to say.”
While it is hard to say definitively whether or not Trump cheats at golf, the allegations made by these individuals cannot be ignored.
