Former US President Donald Trump and his son Eric are set to compete in today’s LIV Golf pro-am. The 76-year-old's course, the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, is hosting the third event of the controversial golf series.
He is set to play alongside Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau during Thursday's curtain-raiser, before members of the Frog-X Navy SEAL Parachute Team parachute onto the course to start each day’s action. Trump is expected to be at event for its duration, despite families of 9/11 victims promising to protest the tournament over its links to Saudi Arabia.
The 9/11 Justice Group slammed the mega businessman as ‘dishonouring America’ by hosting an event of the LIV Golf Series. The breakaway tour is funded by Saudi Arabia's riches and 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi nationals, which has left those in justice and survival groups feeling aggrieved.
Brett Eagleson, the president of the group and son of John Bruce Eagleson, who was murdered in the South Tower of the World Trade Center, is very disappointed in the former President. "We’re just absolutely appalled by this decision. We’re really upset and frustrated,” he told the Daily Mail . “We think that Trump’s decision to engage with the Saudis and, even worse, to have this tournament in the shadows of Ground Zero is horrifying.
“This tournament in being held in the backyard of where 750 people from the state of New Jersey were murdered. This tournament is being held less than 50 miles from where people are standing trial as we speak for their role in 9/11.
The group protested outside LIV Golf's previous event in Portland and are set to do the same in New Jersey this week.
When asked what he would say to Trump if he had the chance to speak to him again, Eagleson replied: “I would ask him, knowing what you know about the Saudis and 9/11, why are you putting them before the families of those that grieved so much, why are you putting them before America? Trump told CNN about the deal he agreed with Greg Norman’s LIV and spoke about their positive relationship .
“I made a deal with them,” Trump said of the LIV executives, via CNN . "They're very good people. They're very fine people. Greg Norman's been a total gentleman, you know, and he's wanted to do this for years and now he has the right backers because, you know, [the Saudi money] is unlimited.
“They can do the job right. I think when you put up first-place prize money for $6 or $7million, I think a lot of people are gonna be showing up, to be honest with you.”
