Hours after he celebrated his championship win in a “fun” golfing tournament, President Donald Trump called for prayers for the dozens of Americans killed after a violent storm system wreaked havoc across multiple states.
Late Sunday afternoon, Trump announced on Truth Social that he clinched the championship title in a tournament held at the Florida golf course he owns: “Such a great honor! The Awards dinner is tonight, at the Club. I want to thank the wonderful Golf Staff, and all of the many fantastic golfers, that participated in the event. Such fun!”
By then, multiple people across the country had died from tornadoes, dust storms, and wildfires that were driven by a severe storm system that ravaged the south and the midwest. The death toll stood at 40 as of Sunday evening, while at least 100 were injured and hundreds of thousands more were left without power.
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“We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest,” Trump said on Truth Social nearly three hours after celebrating his golf win.
“The National Guard have been deployed to Arkansas, and my Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage,” he added. “Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!”
The deadly storm system began Friday. The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center told The New York Times that more storms will move across the country before the end of March.
In a video uploaded by crypto influencer Hofit Golan to her Instagram story Sunday afternoon, the president was seen donning his signature red MAGA hat and a white Trump-branded polo as he waved and pumped his fist at a crowd of cheering supporters in Mar-a-Lago.
It’s a scene that Trump himself would have mocked if someone else was in power.
Last year, Trump tore into then-President Joe Biden for taking a trip to the beach as Hurricane Helene killed over 200 people, becoming the deadliest tropical cyclone to hit the U.S. since 2005.
“You don’t go to the beach. I don’t think that looks good,” Trump told a Georgia campaign rally in March 2024. “Are the voters happy when they see a president all week long on a beach? Typically that’s not a good look.”
Trump continued mocking Biden’s beach trip in an October interview on comedian Andrew Schulz’s podcast.
“Somebody convinced him he looks good in a bathing suit, and when you’re 82, typically bathing suits aren’t gonna make you look great,” Trump said. “You’re not going to be enhanced, alright? It’s just one of those things.”
