President Trump has voiced his support for Tiger Woods following the 15-time Major winner's five-year driving license suspension.
Woods appeared in a south Florida courtroom on Wednesday to change his plea and accepted a plea to reckless driving and careless driving, having previously denied a driving under the influence charge following his car accident in March.
Judge Darren Steele accepted the plea and handed out a five-year driving ban to Woods, fined him a total of $1,500 and warned: “If you drive for any reason at all, you will be going back to jail.”
Woods was supported on the day by his girlfriend Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
Later, President Trump was asked about Woods' court visit and said he thought it was "very fair."
The 45th and 47th President of the United States, an avid golfer, said Woods was a "great guy" and even revealed he had previously told him to get a driver instead of getting behind the wheel himself. Trump also said Woods had a "bad" doctor in his opinion.
“I know Tiger very well. He’s a great guy," Trump told media in the White House.
“He’s unique in so many ways, especially as an athlete, but also as a man. He suffers great pain, great pain. It’s a very tough situation because they didn’t find alcohol on him. He didn’t test positive at all for alcohol.
“But because of his horrible back – he had, in my opinion, a bad doctor – but he had a back operation that did not work out well. And he is under pain. And so, it’s a tough deal when you’re taking a painkiller because you’re under pain and tremendous pain and you have a problem and you test positive.
“He would have told him that. I mean, it’s a prescription painkiller, but I thought it was very fair.
“I think, he’s going to have somebody drive him. I told him that a long time [ago], 'Why don’t you get somebody to drive you?' So, he’s going to have somebody drive him from now on. He’s just a very special guy. I’m glad that was resolved.”
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Trump, who presented Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom following his Masters victory in 2019, wasn't the only politician to comment on the news.
Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, replied to a social media post following a press conference question asking whether Woods will still be allowed to drive a golf cart - something he may wish to do at the PNC Championship later this year and in other future PGA Tour Champions events.
"Tiger should be able to drive a golf cart on the golf course," DeSantis wrote, before continuing: "People that lose their license aren’t typically barred from driving a golf cart on a golf course."
