Trump’s mystery golf course meet was about hosting controversial Saudi-funded tournament, report says

Donald Trump’s mystery sighting at his Virginia golf course this week was in connection to arrangements being made for an upcoming event with the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tournament, a report said.

On Monday, Mr Trump was spotted touring the grounds of the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, alongside a number of men including Brad Enie, his director of grounds for the club.

The former president posted a statement on Truth Social and said: “Working today at @TrumpWashingtonDC on the Potomac River. What an incredible place!”

The trip had sparked speculation after it was first announced that Mr Trump would be flying to the DC area.

According to a report by Insider, the meeting was in connection with a LIV Golf event the Trump Organization is preparing to host in May 2023.

Citing a source who is familiar with the matter, the report said the Trump Organization signed a contract last year to host three LIV events: one at his private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, which took place in July, another at Doral in South Florida coming up in October and a third event for May 2023 at Sterling.

Preparations for the LIV event in May include plans to expand the driving range and make changes to a couple of tee boxes.

The source added that members at the Virginia club have been aware of preparations for months.

“It’s like the worst kept secret in golf,” the source was quoted as saying to the outlet.

LIV Golf has not confirmed the upcoming event.

Chief communications official Jonathan Grella said: “LIV’s 2023 schedule is not final, so we won’t be speculating on it until it is released officially at a later date.”

The former president has faced backlash from 9/11 victims’ families and citizen groups who have criticised him for hosting the Saudi-backed tournament.

Fifteen of the 9/11 attackers were Saudi citizens and al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden was born in the country.

In July, Mr Trump hosted one of the events at his Bedminister club in New Jersey and dubiously claimed that “nobody’s got to the bottom of 9/11”.

While the 9/11 Commission Report in 2004 was not able to find conclusive links between the Saudis and the hijackers, the Biden administration had last year declassified a 16-page FBI report linking 9/11 hijackers to two Saudi nationals living in the US.