Viral video of Trump appearing to 'cheat' while playing golf at Turnberry leaves Internet divided

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND: In a moment that reignited a long-running controversy, President Donald Trump has been caught on camera in what appears to be another questionable golf move. A viral video shows a caddie discreetly dropping a ball in front of Trump at his Turnberry course in Scotland, seemingly setting him up for a better shot.

Though the footage ends before he takes a swing, the clip has sparked a wave of online criticism and accusations of cheating, claims that echo past allegations from celebrities like Samuel L Jackson and Anthony Anderson, who have also accused Trump of suspiciously favorable ball placements on the course.

Viral video apparently shows Donald Trump's caddie dropping a ball in a favorable position

The viral video showed President Donald Trump arriving in a golf cart near a bunker, with two caddies walking ahead of him.

One of the caddies discreetly dropped a ball into the shorter rough just before the sand trap, potentially setting Trump up with a more favorable lie. The 79-year-old then walked toward the ball with a club in hand, seemingly preparing to take a shot, although the clip ends before he swings.

The liberal X (formerly Twitter) account PatriotTakes posted the video, which does not reveal specific details like the hole number, but it quickly drew widespread criticism on social media. Commenters and golf enthusiasts accused Trump of breaking the sport’s rules, pointing out that official regulations require a player who loses a ball to take a stroke-and-distance penalty and to personally drop the replacement ball — not rely on a caddie.

While the infraction may seem minor in a casual round, it has added to the growing perception that Trump’s golf reputation relies more on image than skill. Just a day earlier, critics had labeled him “scummy” online for other etiquette violations, further fueling speculation about his sportsmanship.

Donald Trump slammed for 'shameless cheating' as video from Turnberry course goes viral

Within hours of the video surfacing showing Donald Trump at his golf course in Scotland, numerous users pointed out the apparent rule violation in the clip, accusing the president of cheating.

One user pointed out, "Watch it carefully, the caddy drops the ball for him. Trump has to cheat at his own course," while another said, "Trump's shameless golf cheating, having his caddie drop a ball for a better lie outside the bunker, exposes the same fraudulent tactics he employs in politics, proving once again he's a con artist through and through."

"Just cheating at golf. As he does in life. (Notice the ball come right out of the caddies (blue jacket) right hand)," claimed a person, while someone else expressed, “Anyone see the caddy throw the ball down so trump can get an easy and good lie to chip to the green. Once a cheater always. Cheater.”

A user jokingly questioned, “Seriously, do you think that Grandpa Trump won any golf tournaments without cheating? 🤣😂🤣.”

Meanwhile, a supporter of Trump wrote, “You people are desperate. There's not one honest person alive who doesn't know Trump works extremely hard,” while another said, “He’s an amazing golfer!"

One individual questioned the caddy, writing, “I'm not sure of the rules, but I don't think you're allowed to touch the golf ball if you're the caddy and then throw it to wherever.”

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