Trump Organization holding discussions to host events for new Saudi golf league: report

The Trump Organization is holding discussions with officials working for the company hosting a new Saudi golf league in a bid to hold some of the tour’s events at the former president’s golf properties, The Washington Post reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The Trump Organization has been in talks with people from the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Investments, which is hosting the Super Golf League. The head of LIV Golf Investments, Greg Norman, has spoken with former President Trump about the matter, one of the people familiar told the newspaper.

The people familiar with the matter told the Post that sites for the new league could include at least two of Trump’s courses in Doral, Fla. and Bedminster, N.J. 

“It certainly sounds possible given the fact that President Trump owns some of the most beautiful and renowned golf courses in the world — from the cliffs of Rancho Palos Verdes, to the majestic rolling hills of Bedminster and, of course, the iconic Doral property,” Taylor Budowich, a spokesperson for Trump’s Save America PAC, told the newspaper when asked about the discussions.

A spokesperson for LIV Golf Investments declined to comment to the Post about the matter while Eric Trump, a Trump Organization spokesperson and the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C. did not respond to requests for comment from the paper.

The development comes as Trump continues to pursue different business interests since leaving the White House. Trump has specifically sought to maintain a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019 as “a friend of mine” and making it the first country he visited after entering the White House.

Following the death of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump refused to place responsibility for the incident on the Saudi crown prince.

“Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn’t,” the former president said in November 2018.

The Hill has reached out to a Trump spokesperson, the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C. and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization for comment. The Hill could not immediately reach LIV Golf Investments for comment.