E-Paper
Tiger Woods disturbing call to Trump after DUI arrest revealed; bodycam footage emerges
Newly surfaced bodycam footage has revealed that Tiger Woods placed a phone call to President Donald Trump moments after crashing his vehicle
Newly surfaced bodycam footage has revealed that Tiger Woods placed a phone call to President Donald Trump moments after crashing his vehicle near his Jupiter Island home in Florida, just before he was formally arrested on suspicion of DUI. In the footage obatained by TMZ Sports, the legendary golfer can be seen moving around the crash site before confirming the phone call.
Tiger Woods' call to Trump
At one point, Woods briefly walks away from the police cruiser, prompting officers to call him back. As he returns, the 50-year-old appears to be finishing a phone call, saying, “Thank you so much. All right. You got it. Bye.”
Read More: Tiger Woods turns down Ryder Cup captain's job and seeks treatment out of country
When asked to stay nearby, Woods offered a surprising explanation: “Yeah, I was just talking with the President.”
The interaction took place before Woods was handcuffed. Officers allowed him to sit inside a patrol vehicle and later asked him to perform a field sobriety test as part of their investigation.
After rejoining officers and his manager at the scene, Woods added another detail about the conversation, saying Trump was “very apologetic for what he did last night.”
That remark appears to reference Trump’s comments from the previous day, when he spoke publicly about Woods’ condition. Standing near Air Force One, Trump had said: “I feel so bad. He's got some difficulty, there was an accident, and that's all I know,” adding, “A very close friend of mine, he's an amazing person, an amazing man. But some difficulty. I don't want to talk about it.”
Tiger Woods' closeness with Donald Trump
The two share a long-standing relationship, having played golf together over the years and frequently exchanging public praise. Woods is also currently dating Vanessa Trump, the former wife of Donald Trump Jr, further linking the two figures.
Read More: Tiger Woods DUI row: Expert says jail is unlikely but tough penalties expected: ‘chances are remote’
Body camera footage reveals details
Meanwhile, the body camera footage shows Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar then conducting a roadside sobriety test and telling Woods: “I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI."
“I’m being arrested?” Woods responded.
“Yes, sir,” Levenar said.
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
“That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities would later confirm that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.
In the body camera footage, Woods told Levenar that he had not drunk any alcohol and that he had taken “a few” medications earlier in the day, though Woods’ words are muted in the released video as he describes some of the drugs.
(With AP inputs)
