After Tiger Woods’ Friday, March 27 DUI arrest, a post went viral on social media which included an alleged statement from President Donald Trump, calling for Woods to be pardoned so he can compete in the upcoming Masters tournament.
“I’ve just been told that Tiger Woods, who is a Great Golfer and even Greater American, was involved in a minor fender bender today, and as a result of a misunderstanding, was charged with a dreaded DUI,” read the alleged statement. “This happening as he attempts to return to professional golf. Everyone deserves a second chance, which Tiger never got, if we’re being honest. That is why I am calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETELY PARDON Tiger so he can focus on The Masters and help to Make Golf Great Again!”
The original post — a screenshot of the alleged statement from Trump’s TruthSocial account — garnered over two million views at the time of publication, reaching far and wide on X.
“Amazing,” read the post, along with the statement.
Despite the post’s outreach, it was quickly revealed to be a fake, as Trump never posted a statement about Woods on his TruthSocial account, like the viral post suggests.
Trump did, however, offer his concern and sympathy for his “very close friend,” Woods.
“I feel so bad. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump, 79, told reporters when asked about the incident on Friday. “There was an accident, and that’s all I know. A very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man. But some difficulty. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Woods, 50, was arrested on Friday afternoon in Jupiter Island, Florida, after he was involved in a rollover car accident. He was subsequently charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit a lawful test after he refused a urinalysis test when authorities arrived at the scene.
The golfer did complete a breathalyzer test which resulted in triple zeros, suggesting Woods was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Woods spent roughly eight hours at Martin County Jail — per Florida statute — and was released around 11 p.m. ET on Friday.
According to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, Woods was driving a black Land Rover and clipped the back of a pickup trump pulling a small trailer, causing Woods’s SUV to flip over.
No injuries were reported in the accident.
Trump and Woods have played golf together in the past, and the President honored Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
Woods is currently dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr.
