“All those golfers who remain ‘loyal’ to the blatantly insincere PGA, in all its various forms, will pay a heavy price when the inevitable merger with LIV comes, and you will get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials.” who are making millions of dollars a year,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday.
“If you don’t take the money now, you’ll get nothing after the merger, and just say how smart the original signers were.”
According to a letter sent to Trump on Sunday, his remarks came after the families of 9/11 victims urged him to cancel the tournament, citing Saudi support for LIV Golf.
The 9/11 Commission set up by Congress said in 2004 that it had found “no evidence that the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials personally funded” al-Qaeda as an institution.
Still, the families of the victims have pushed for further disclosure, and last year, the FBI released a document detailing their work investigating alleged logistical support that a Saudi consular officer and a man in Los Angeles did. The suspected Saudi intelligence agent had provided at least two. kidnappers
The 9/11 Justice said in the letter, “The Kingdom of Saudi is largely responsible for the deaths of our loved ones and the horrific attack on America. And you know it.”
Brett Eagleson is an advocate for the group and his father, John Bruce Eagleson, was among those killed during the World Trade Center attacks. Eagleson told CNN that the decision to host the tournament is “unconscious”.
In the letter, he said the decision has caused “deep pain and anger” among constituents, given Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks and material support of al Qaeda, as outlined by FBI reports.
“The FBI notes that much information has emerged since the 9/11 Commission published its report in 2004,” Eagleson wrote in the letter, “and the 9/11 hijackers.”
In an email, Eagleson emphasized that the golf course where LIV is set to play is “in his backyard where 750 New Jersey residents were murdered.”
“The former president correctly guessed in 2016 that Saudi Arabia took down the towers and now the FBI has released documents to prove them right,” Eagleson told CNN. Day.”
According to the letter, the group is urging members to meet with the former president in the coming days to discuss their concerns and to “stop further business with the regime involved in the murder of our loved ones.”
LIV Golf issued a statement Monday in response to the letter.
“As we have always said, we have our deepest sympathies in these families. Although some may not agree, we believe that golf is a force for good around the world.”
CNN has contacted Trump and representatives for the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster for comment.
What is LIV Golf?
The tour has hosted two tournaments so far – in London and near Portland, Oregon. The circuit’s season-ending event is scheduled for late October at the Trump National Doral Miami in Florida.
In June, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced that all member golfers who played in the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series had been suspended and would no longer be eligible to participate in the PGA Tour tournament.
The US Department of Justice is investigating the PGA Tour over potential antitrust violations involving LIV golf, the PGA Tour confirmed to CNN last week.
Several top golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have joined LIV, which is fronted by former world No. 1 Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
CNN’s Kevin Dotson contributed to this report.