A White House official has pushed back at golf writer Rick Reilly after he repeated claims that Donald Trump cheats on the golf course, using newly released comments from Sen. Lindsey Graham to support his accusations.
In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized Reilly, who has long questioned Trump’s golfing record.
“Rick fantasizes about having a golf game as good as President Trump,” Cheung said. “But instead of putting in the hard work to improve his game, Rick lets his obsession take over his life. He should focus on golf lessons instead of making things up.”
Reilly, a former Sports Illustrated writer and the author of Commander in Cheat, reignited the debate on Thursday after pointing to Graham’s sworn testimony from a 2022 secret grand jury. The transcripts were later published by The New York Times.
“To all the MAGAs who said I lied in my book about Trump cheating like a three-card money dealer on the golf course,” Reilly wrote on X. “Sen. Lindsey Graham just said it under oath. ‘You may outdrive him, but you can’t outdrive his caddy.’ Cheat at golf. Cheat at life.”
Reilly has repeatedly claimed Trump bends the rules on the course. In a 2024 MSNBC interview, he said Trump uses a faster golf cart than others, allowing him to get ahead of the group.
“He always gets a turbo-charged golf cart that goes three times as fast as yours,” Reilly said. “That gives him time to cheat.”
Graham’s testimony appeared to echo that idea. In his sworn remarks, he said, “You may outdrive him, but you can’t outdrive his caddy.”
Trump’s golfing habits have drawn attention for years. According to the Trump Golf Tracker, he has averaged a round every 5.6 days and has spent nearly a quarter of his second term on the course, totaling about 90 days out of 362.
Donald Trump’s golfing habits have long drawn attention
Donald Trump’s time on the course has been widely tracked during both of his terms in office. According to the Trump Golf Tracker, he has spent nearly a quarter of his second term playing golf, averaging a round roughly every six days.
Trump has often said he has won dozens of club championships. Reilly and other critics have questioned those claims.
Golf coach Craig Normansell told The Daily Beast that Trump can strike the ball well but does not appear to have the short game of a consistent club champion.
“He can clearly step up to a ball and strike it, but when it comes to the short game, he looks like he’s going to be found out sooner or later. It certainly doesn’t look like the level of someone who’s won 18 club championships,” Normansell said.
Reilly has also said that Trump’s reputation on the course is widely discussed among golfers. In a 2019 interview with the Associated Press, he claimed that many players had seen or heard similar stories over the years.
“In golf, he’s definitely not exonerated,” Reilly said. “There’s been dozens and dozens of people that can declare him guilty of cheating.”
Donald Trump’s golf habits have also raised questions about cost. Reports estimate his first term trips totaled more than $150 million in taxpayer expenses, with tens of millions more during his second term.
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