Fact check: Did Tiger Woods ridicule Kamala Harris for using a 'fake Black accent'?

WASHINGTON, DC: A fake quote by professional golfer Tiger Woods slamming Vice President Kamala Harris has spread like wildfire on social media.

The quote—shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the account @PGATUOR—claimed Woods said, "Kamala's fake Black accent is embarrassing and extremely offensive." The post has garnered over 5.1 million views and received over 163,000 likes.

However, it didn’t take long for fact-checkers to establish that the quote was completely fake.

@PGATUOR is well-known for its satirical content on social media. The account clearly states in its bio that it’s a parody and considers itself the golf version of The Babylon Bee and The Onion—publications famous for their humor-laden fictional stories. Despite this disclaimer, many on social media believed the fake quote was real.

One famous name who fell for the quote was Uncle Luke. After seeing the post, the rapper criticized Woods and accused him of being hypocritical toward Harris. However, it wasn’t long before others informed the rapper that the quote was fake and had never been said by Woods.

Kamala Harris' 'accent' raises eyebrows

During her Labor Day rally in Detroit, Vice President Kamala Harris raised eyebrows for what some critics called a new "accent." While addressing the crowd, she spoke of the importance of unions with a noticeable shift in her dialect. 

"You better thank a union member for the five-day workweek," Harris told the crowd. "You better thank a union member for sick leave. You better thank a union member for paid leave. You better thank a union member for vacation time."

Conservative X account named Johnny MAGA shared a clip of the same and mocked Harris' attempt at "Detroit speak" while labeling her as "cringe and fake."

"This is her seventh new accent in four weeks," Trump senior advisor Stephen Miller commented. "She has literally never used this accent before. She grew up in Canada. Phoniest politician in all of politics."

Professor and podcast host Gad Saad added, "There are countless traits that I despise in humans, few as much as inauthenticity."

Tiger Woods and Donald Trump's close relationship

Although Tiger Woods hasn't commented on Kamala Harris' accent, his relationship with former president Donald Trump, a golf aficionado, is well-documented.

In 2019, Trump awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom—one of the country’s highest civilian honors. Moreover, the two have been seen golfing together on numerous occasions.

In an August 2018 interview, when asked about his relationship with Trump, Woods said, "I’ve known Donald for a number of years. We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency."

When questioned on Trump’s controversial policies on immigration, Woods simply responded by saying that he has to "respect the office."

The golf legend also commented on the July 13 Butler rally assassination attempt.

Woods revealed that the incident impacted him so much that it disrupted his preparation for The Open at Royal Troon.

"I didn't accomplish a lot because I wasn't in the right frame of mind," said Wood in an interview with the BBC. He added, "It was a long night [because of the assassination attempt] and that's all we watched the entire time on the way over here. I didn't sleep at all on the flight, and then we just got on the golf course."

It's worth noting that Woods and Trump have also collaborated on a number of business projects, including designing a golf course in Dubai.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump gear up for debate

Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are ramping up their campaigns as the November 5 election inches closer. The first debate between the two candidates is set for September 10 and will be hosted by ABC News.

The Democratic nominee has suggested that the microphones remain on at all times to allow the public to hear everything both candidates say without any interruptions.

She said, "Donald Trump is surrendering to his advisors who won't allow him to debate with a live microphone."

"If his own team doesn't have confidence in him, the American people definitely can’t. We are running for President of the United States. Let’s debate in a transparent way—with the microphones on the whole time," added the vice president. 

However, the vice president's stance might be perceived as somewhat hypocritical. During the June 27 debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, microphones were turned off when a candidate finished speaking.

The now-infamous debate led to Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 race. On July 21, he halted his campaign and endorsed Harris as his successor.