US President Donald Trump joked during his Ireland visit that the heavy Secret Service presence around him makes it difficult to cheat while playing golf.
Speaking to business leaders at the US Embassy in Dublin on Saturday, September 12, Trump described having hundreds of agents spread across a golf course while he played with a business executive. He then turned the long-running subject of his golf habits into a joke.
“They said, ‘Does Trump cheat?’ I can’t cheat,” Trump said, according to the remarks reported from the event. He added that there were “250 Secret Service agents running down” the course.
Then came the punchline: “It’s not that I wouldn’t cheat.”
The comment drew laughter from the audience.
What exactly did Trump say?
Trump said the presence of Secret Service personnel effectively prevents him from moving a golf ball when others might not be watching.
He explained that agents are positioned throughout the course as part of his security detail, making it difficult to make any unnoticed changes to a ball’s position.
“I don’t know if they play or not, but they know you’re not supposed to be moving the ball around,” Trump said.
The remarks were made in a light-hearted setting, and Trump did not provide evidence that he had actually cheated during the round he was discussing.
Why does Trump have a reputation for cheating at golf?
Trump has faced allegations about his golf conduct for years, although those claims remain disputed.
The subject received renewed attention after sportswriter Rick Reilly published his 2019 book “Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.” Reilly described numerous alleged incidents in which Trump supposedly moved or kicked balls, improved his lie or otherwise bent the rules.
The book’s claims were based on interviews with people who had played with Trump, including caddies and other golfers. Trump has pushed back against accusations that he routinely cheats.
That history gives his latest joke an obvious extra layer. Rather than simply denying the allegations, Trump joked about what might happen if the people protecting him were not watching.
Trump has long linked golf to his public image
Golf has been a recurring part of Trump’s personal and political image for decades.
He owns and operates golf properties in the United States and abroad, and he frequently discusses the sport publicly. His golf game has also become a source of political commentary because of repeated claims about his scores and playing style.
The latest remarks revive that familiar combination of politics, celebrity and golf, with Trump turning a question about his honesty on the course into a joke about the very people responsible for protecting him.
Why were so many Secret Service agents around him?
As a sitting US president, Trump receives Secret Service protection wherever he travels, including while playing golf.
Golf courses pose particular security challenges because they are large, open spaces with multiple access points. A presidential protective operation therefore requires personnel to secure the course and monitor surrounding areas while maintaining the president’s movements.
Trump’s reference to “250” agents appears to have been a description of the large security presence he observed around the course rather than an official statement of the exact number of agents assigned to him.
Did Trump admit that he cheats?
Not exactly.
Trump’s wording was deliberately ambiguous. He first said he “can’t cheat” because of the Secret Service presence, then followed it with “It’s not that I wouldn’t cheat.”
That can be read as a joke acknowledging the allegations, rather than a factual admission that he has cheated in golf.
There is also no indication in the remarks that Secret Service agents are responsible for enforcing golf rules. Their role is presidential protection, not refereeing the game.
Where did Trump make the comments?
The remarks came during Trump’s visit to Ireland, where he also attended the Irish Open at his Trump International Golf Links resort in Doonbeg.
His appearance at the tournament put the president’s longtime interest in golf back in the spotlight, while his comments in Dublin ensured that the subject of his golf reputation followed him onto the course.
The result was a familiar Trump-style political moment: a serious question about personal conduct turned into an audience-laughing one-liner.
