Former President Donald Trump responded on Thursday to 9/11 families’ criticism for hosting the LIV golf tournament backed by Saudi Arabia.
“Nobody’s gotten to the bottom of 9/11, unfortunately,” Trump told ESPN, responding to the families’ protests. “They should have, as to the maniacs that did that horrible thing, to our city, to our country, to the world. So nobody’s really been there. But I can tell you that there are a lot of really great people that are out here today. And we’re going to have a lot of fun and we’re going to celebrate.”
“I’ve known these people for a long time, in Saudi Arabia, and they’ve been friends of mine for a long time. They’ve invested in many American companies … and frankly, what they’re doing for golf is so great,” Trump added.
The tournament, which will feature PGA Tour golfers, will be held at a Trump-owned golf course in New Jersey over the weekend. The event is also supported financially by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund which is chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the country, who many blame for ordering the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Families also say that it’s disrespectful to hold the event so close to the site of 9/11.
Formerly classified documents recently became public and revealed that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, though the country has continually denied involvement in the terrorist attacks. 9/11 Justice, a grassroots group, wrote to Trump earlier this month blaming the Saudis for the attack.
