President Donald Trump spent Friday straddling two very different worlds: in the morning, he vowed that more of his political enemies would face prosecution, and by the afternoon he was soaking up chants of “USA!” from golf fans at the Ryder Cup in New York.
The president arrived at Bethpage Black Golf Course to a hero’s welcome, just a day after former FBI director James Comey became the first senior official from Trump’s long list of rivals to be charged. Trump had demanded his prosecution for years, furious over Comey’s handling of the Russia investigation.
But the political storm faded when Air Force One flew low over the course, drawing cheers from the crowd, many of whom waited through long security checks for a glimpse of the golfer-in-chief. Supporters shouted “48,” a call for Trump—already the 45th and 47th president—to defy the Constitution and seek yet another term.
Standing near the tee box in white golf shoes and a dark suit, Trump led chants, saluted during the national anthem, and greeted U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley, who returned the gesture with a bow and a dance mimicking Trump’s campaign-trail routine. Several American players joined in as the crowd roared.
The Ryder Cup’s patriotic energy and working-class setting provided a perfect stage for Trump’s brand of populist politics. Bethpage, long known as the “People’s Country Club,” sits in a county Trump carried in 2024, and fans dressed in flag-themed costumes cheered him like a hometown hero.
For Trump, golf has long served as both a personal escape and a political platform. He has used sports to amplify his presence on the national stage—from NASCAR laps at the Daytona 500 to mingling with athletes at the U.S. Open. With the U.S. preparing to host the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, he has already suggested reshaping major tournaments to fit his political agenda, threatening to move matches out of cities he calls unsafe and “run by radical left lunatics.”
At Bethpage, though, politics took a back seat for many. Fans waved, posed for photos, and chanted as Trump watched from behind a glass barrier. “He’s doing a hell of a job for the country,” said Phil Dunn of Pittsburgh. But not everyone welcomed the spectacle. “It’s not about him, it’s about those 12 players out there,” said Peter Bruce, who came from London in European team colors.
Whether celebrated or scorned, Trump once again turned a global sporting stage into a reflection of his presidency—equal parts confrontation, pageantry, and showmanship.