Is Donald Trump Really As Good At Golf As He Claims? Videos Of His Shaky Swing Spark Debate
The first presidential debate of 2024 was universally panned, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump's tragic hair-off seemingly one of the most substantial arguments people could actually get behind — aside from Trump and Biden's petty high school-level golf spat, which finished off proceedings on the most dramatic note of the night. CNN came under fire for its lack of moderation and zero fact-checking. But never fear, as social media quickly rose to the task with videos and critiques of Trump's shaky swing flooding X, formerly Twitter, sparking a wrangle way more fierce than anything that occurred on the debate night stage.
— Shooter (@JackMehoff____) June 28, 2024
"Even my left hand swing looks much better than his swing," one comment read. "Destroyed that ball the same way as he did with Biden yesterday," another countered. "A good golf player would make a good leader?" a voice of reason interjected. Still, that was just the start of it, with more videos and athletic analysis proliferating on platforms. So, is Trump really as good at golf as he claims? The shaky swing debate rages on, and we're here for it.
Trump's swing vote is undecided
It became clear when Joe Biden walked on stage that the Donald Trump-fueled conspiracy that he would be pumped full of performance-enhancing drugs was as baseless as Hillary Clinton supposedly hanging out in pizza parlor basements. Biden stalled while Donald veered drastically off course — ironic, given social media's debate regarding his golfing prowess boasts. Editor and attorney Ron Filipkowski posted a video of Trump slicing into the rough.
Trump golf game this week is going about as well as his court cases. pic.twitter.com/e94ZCs42cX
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) July 16, 2023
"He called up Kim Jong il immediately after to say he got another hole-in-one," a commenter quipped. "You know he still marked down birdie on the scorecard though," another opined. "As a golfer, just seeing this gives me PTSD," a third commiserated. Cue the next. Barstool Sports honcho Jack McGuire heaped praise on a Donald swing
Trump opens -600 in a golf match against Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/mimrpMuoDQ
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) June 28, 2024
Given that Barstool Sports is followed by Donald Trump Jr., it's hardly surprising that many of the 82.8k followers heaped on the praise. "Trump doesn't lose a single hole put everything you own and more on it," one gushed. Still, not everybody jumped on the Trump golf cart. There was at least one commenter who managed to remain partisan. "That's a 195 yard slice into that bunker lol. Thats not the swing of a 2.5 handicap. If those 2 played a match there's no way anyone is shooting below a 90," they wrote.
Trump's golf by the numbers
When it comes to boasting, few people can beat Donald Trump, especially regarding his golfing form, and few are better at dissing their opponents. According to the Associated Press, Trump once told hotelier and business partner Phil Ruffin that he should use women's tees to play and shot down the skills of Ernie Els, the South African pro and the world's former number one. Still, as the AP noted, Trump really can hit a ball; despite being a septuagenarian, his handicap was considered 2.9 in the fall of 2018, if Trump is to be believed.
It's little surprise Trump managed to keep his form. It's a well-known fact that he spent excessive time golfing during his one term in office. The Washington Post reported in January 2021 that Trump spent 428 days at one of his organization's golf clubs during his four years. As with many other subjects, Trump's administration refused to officially report how many games he played. Still, the Post surmised around 261 rounds at the cost of an estimated $109 million. In contrast, Obama played 333 during his two terms.
Meanwhile, Biden didn't miss an opportunity to shade Trump over his golfing boasts in March 2024. The former president bragged about winning two championships at his Mar-a-Lago club. "Congratulations, Donald. Quite the accomplishment," Biden remarked on X. "He's too nice to note that Trump is a notorious cheater at golf," MSNBC analyst Tim O'Brien added.