Leftists Focus Anti-Trump Outrage on PGA After It Refuses To Get Political
The PGA of America announced more than five years ago that the 2022 PGA Championship will be held at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
As the name suggests, the golf course is owned by Donald Trump, who was a businessman and television star May 1, 2014, when the tournament site was announced.
Now, of course, he’s president, with millions of supporters as well as his fair share of detractors.
The latter, including the Democratic Party and establishment media, have been attacking Trump over recent tweets about far-left members of Congress.
The president said Sunday that the Democratic lawmakers “who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe” are “now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run.”
“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” he asked. “Then come back and show us how it is done.”
Trump didn’t name names or mention race in the tweets, but many on the left — including Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold — have claimed they are “racist.”
Fahrenthold apparently asked the PGA whether it would stick to its plan to hold the 2022 championship at Trump National in light of the president’s tweets.
He probably didn’t like the answer he received, which he tweeted Tuesday.
“As an organization, we are fully committed to diversity and inclusion, but we are not a political organization and simply don’t weigh in on statements made in the political arena,” the organization told Fahrenthold in a statement.
The @PGA, set to hold 2022 PGA Championship at @realdonaldTrump‘s Bedminster, on his racist tweets:
“As an organization, we are fully committed to Diversity and Inclusion, but we are not a political organization & simply don’t weigh in on statements made in the political arena.”— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) July 16, 2019
Others on the left and in the media expressed outrage over the tournament being held at Trump’s course.
Jay Bushbee of Yahoo Sports wrote a piece titled, “After Trump tweets, PGA should pull 2022 championship from Trump National Golf Club.”
Former ESPN host Jemele Hill, now with The Atlantic, tweeted, “Pro tip: You can’t be fully committed to diversity and inclusion if you’re holding a major tournament on a racist’s golf course.”
Pro tip: You can’t be fully committed to diversity and inclusion if you’re holding a major tournament on a racist’s golf course. https://t.co/obI9dws4lG
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) July 16, 2019
Meanwhile, Drew Magary of Deadspin decried the PGA’s response to Fahrenthold, writing, “That is a statement designed to please racists and no one else.”
In Magary’s article, headlined, “You’re Not Sticking To Sports When You Stick To Sports,” he argues for sports organizations to be more political — so long as they agree with his point of view and not those of the “racist f—head” Trump.
In reality, the PGA is doing what it should by staying out of politics and refusing to give in to today’s outrage culture.
The organization decided over five years ago that Trump National should host the 2022 championship. It should want to use the best venues in the country regardless of the politics of those who own them.
This same course hosted the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open (a USGA major). Meanwhile, the 2017 Senior PGA Championship took place at a Trump-owned club in Potomac Falls, Virginia — and earned rave reviews from the players.
PGA officials don’t want to alienate fans with polarizing takes on politics. They want the focus to be golf.
The PGA should be seen as a model for other sports organizations who want to maintain their audience.
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