A resort owned by former US President Donald Trump in New Jersey will host one of the rounds of the international golf tournament invited from Riyadh in a move that has sparked controversy, according to the magazine.New Yorker“.
A group of families of 9/11 victims who have long accused Saudi Arabia of aiding the terrorists who carried out the attacks sent a letter to Trump last Sunday, saying they had felt “extreme pain, frustration and anger” as a result of the decision to host the Saudi-sponsored competition at the Trump National Golf Club. in Bedminster, New Jersey for three days starting July 29.
“The evidence against Saudi Arabia and its role in the attacks is more clear than ever,” said Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice and the son of one of the victims of the World Trade Center attack. The events of September 11th.
The group has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Saudi Arabia of complicity in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, according to the Associated Press.
It also sought the release of classified FBI documents relating to Saudi Arabia’s role in the attacks.
The Saudi government has denied any involvement in the attacks. But family members said Trump blamed the Saudis in a 2016 Fox News interview.
“Who blew up the World Trade Center? They weren’t Iraqis, they were Saudis. Look at Saudi Arabia. Open the documents,” Trump said on “Fox and Friends.”
“Seeking Revenge”
According to the “New Yorker”, Trump responded on Monday indirectly to the criticism of the families of the September 11 victims when he advised, through his social platform, that professional golfers who did not join the Saudi tour, known in some circles as the “Ponso Tour”, “get a chance to get a chance to win the tournament.” money now.”
In its report, the magazine noted that Trump “avoided talking about the events of September 11, the message of protest he received or talking about the assassination of the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, or that the Saudi government, through its investments in golf, football and other professional sports, is clearly trying to distract attention.” its oppressive and tyrannical nature.
John Hirsch, director of programs at Democracy for the Arab World Now, a research and advocacy group co-founded by Jamal Khashoggi, considered that what Riyadh spends in the sports field is “part of a broader play by the Saudi regime so that people forget events and facts such as September 11 or the execution 81 people in one day, as happened recently.”
“Instead of acknowledging these matters, Trump wrote in his post that all golfers who remain loyal to the PGA Championship will pay an inevitable heavy price,” Hersh said, criticizing the former US president.
Trump was referring to the monopoly cases that the US Department of Justice is considering over preventing the PGA Tour’s players from participating in the Saudi-backed LIV Tournament.
old enmity
The “New Yorker” indicated that Trump is not only seeking to make profits and make money by hosting that tournament, he also has a “willingness to take revenge” on the “BGE” tour that was withdrawn, in 2016, and during Trump’s successful presidential campaign, the championship A large number of another course he owns known as the “Trump National Doral” infuriated him.
Since his purchase of New Jersey, in 2002, he has invested heavily in making it worthy of one of the four major golf tournaments.
But in January last year, after the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters, the PGA pulled its 2022 tournament from Bedminster, and PGA President Jim Richerson said at the time that pairing the tournament with Trump Stadium “would damage the brand.” And jeopardizes its ability to provide many programs and the continuation of its mission.”
The decision comes after many politicians and others blamed Trump for the attack on the Capitol by his supporters, which killed five people.
“We felt that given the tragic events of Wednesday, we could no longer keep the Championship in Bedminster. The damage from having it was irreparable and the only real course of action was to leave.”
The association, which has a membership of 29,000 golf professionals in the United States, signed the contract to host the tournament in Bedminster in 2014.
The federation previously canceled a Grand Slam tournament at Trump National Stadium in Los Angeles in 2015 following derogatory comments made by the outgoing president about Mexican immigrants in 2015.