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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Gino Spocchia

Obama compliments Trump on his golf but then implies he cheats at that too

Photograph: CBS/TheLateShow

Donald Trump, according to predecessor Barack Obama, was “actually” good at playing golf, but was unable to track his own score, or cheated.

Mr Obama made those comments during an appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, as the two-term president sat down with the talk show host.

Asked whether or not he would reach out to his successor when he leaves the White House next month to “tee up”, Mr Obama responded and said: “I do not”.

The Democrat has previously taken part in the Presidents Cup tournament alongside both George W Bush and Bill Clinton, when all three former US president’s played three years ago.

Mr Trump, who assumed the presidency several months earlier, declined to participate alongside his predecessors, and showed-up to the tournament the next day.  

Mr Obama, whose response was admittedly deadpan on Monday, did not plan on playing golf with Mr Trump any time soon.

“Listen, from what I understand, he’s actually a pretty good golfer,” Mr Obama admitted to Mr Colbert. 

He then taunted the current president, who was said to be unable to count his own score, or cheated, and said:  “I understand that — shockingly enough — there’s sometimes problems with the scoring, and whether he’s keeping track of his score.”

Mr Colbert then mocked Trump campaign claims that Venezuela's late president had tampered with American vote machines and added : “It’s Hugo Chavez again...that’s his caddy”.  

Mr Trump, who owns seventeen golf courses in the United States, has reportedly played some 300 rounds as president, and continued to do so amid the Covid-19 pandemic and presidential election, which he declined to concede to Democrat Joe Biden.

Still, the current president criticised Mr Obama’s own golf playing in the past, saying on Twitter in 2015 that “He may play more golf than any human being in America, and I'm not sure that's good for the President.”

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