Although this championship "win" wasn't THAT surprising. After all, Trump has claimed "Victories" at this event for the past several years.
Jimmy Kimmel Remixes North Korean State Media to Mock Trump’s Golf Tournament Claims | Video
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Rick Reilly, a sportswriter who has played with Trump, authored the book Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, detailing various alleged cheating tactics. Reilly claims Trump uses a "turbo-charged golf cart" to get ahead of his competition, allowing him to move balls before others catch up.
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Suzann Pettersen, a professional golfer with 15 LPGA Tour wins, stated in a 2018 interview that Trump "cheats like hell" on the golf course.
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Mike Tirico, a sportscaster, recounted an incident where he hit a near-perfect shot, only to find his ball mysteriously in a sand trap later. He was later informed that Trump had thrown his ball into the bunker.
These accounts provide firsthand perspectives on Trump's alleged behavior on the golf course.
- Pathological Lying (Pseudologia Fantastica) – Habitual or grandiose falsehoods intended to create an exaggerated image of greatness.
- Mythmaking Propaganda – Creating absurd or superhuman myths to reinforce the ruler's divine or infallible status.
- Authoritarian Gaslighting – Manipulating public perception to make people question reality and accept the leader’s version of events.
- Omnipotence Illusion – Presenting the leader as all-powerful and superhuman to discourage dissent and solidify loyalty.
Kim Jong-il (not Kim Jong-un) was famously reported to have shot 38 under par, including 11 hole-in-ones, during his first-ever golf game, a claim that fits within these categories of despotic deception.
Accusations of despotism against former U.S. President Donald Trump stem from several actions and statements perceived as authoritarian:
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Expansion of Executive Power: In February 2025, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport 261 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, despite a federal judge's order to halt such deportations. This unprecedented use of a wartime law during peacetime was viewed by legal experts as an illegal misuse of power and a direct threat to the rule of law.
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Defiance of Judicial Authority: Trump's administration proceeded with deportations even after court orders blocked such actions, challenging the judiciary's role as a check on executive power. Critics argue this defiance undermines constitutional checks and balances, posing risks to American democracy.
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Rhetoric Suggesting Authoritarian Intentions: During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump remarked he would act as a dictator only on "day one" to implement specific policies, such as closing the border. While some dismissed this as rhetoric, others viewed it as an indication of authoritarian ambitions.
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Dehumanizing Language and Threats of Violence: Trump's campaign employed increasingly dehumanizing and violent rhetoric against political adversaries and immigrants. Historians and scholars have described this language as populist, authoritarian, and fascist, raising concerns about its implications for democratic norms.
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Challenges to Constitutional Checks and Balances: Trump's actions, such as defying court orders and expanding executive authority, have been characterized as a "bald power grab," leading to fears that the U.S. could be on a path toward dictatorship. Legal experts warn that unchecked executive authority undermines the foundational principles of American democracy.
These actions and statements have contributed to perceptions of Trump as exhibiting despotic tendencies, prompting debates about the resilience of democratic institutions in the United States.
Trump’s alleged golf cheating fits a broader pattern seen in authoritarian leaders who fabricate personal greatness to reinforce their image. Just as despots throughout history have exaggerated their achievements—like Kim Jong Il claiming to shoot 38 under par—Trump has been accused by sportswriters, professional golfers, and playing partners of bending the rules to maintain a myth of dominance.
Rick Reilly’s Commander in Cheat details how Trump manipulates the game, while LPGA pro Suzann Pettersen and sportscaster Mike Tirico recount firsthand instances of him moving balls and falsifying scores. These behaviors reflect a deeper authoritarian tendency: the need to control narratives, even in trivial matters, to project infallibility and superiority.
One last thing...
We have an entire cohort of co called "conservatives" who for decades have believed themselves to be that, while the party which serves that group have moved consistently into the extreme and the Fascist.
A statement that is largely accurate when looking at the political trajectory of the Republican Party in the U.S. over the past few decades. Many self-identified conservatives still see themselves as supporting traditional conservative values—such as limited government, free markets, and individual freedoms—while the party itself has increasingly embraced far-right populism, authoritarian tendencies, and nationalist rhetoric.
This shift has been noted by historians and political analysts, who highlight that the Republican Party has moved away from traditional conservatism (e.g., as represented by figures like Dwight Eisenhower or even Ronald Reagan) and toward more extreme positions. The embrace of Trumpism, conspiracy theories, election denialism, and policies that undermine democratic norms has led some former conservatives to break away, while others remain within the party, either unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge its transformation.
This kind of deception isn’t just about golf—it’s a hallmark of despots who manufacture their own greatness to maintain power and admiration. From claiming impossible athletic feats to rewriting history, authoritarian leaders rely on lies to craft an image of superiority. Whether on the fairway or the political stage, the need to cheat to win reveals not strength, but insecurity—the defining flaw of every despot.
