A quick summary for those who need it: LIV is the Saudi-backed golf league that shook up the sport by challenging the dominance of the PGA. He attracted athletes to participate in his events with huge paydays. But it has been the subject of significant controversy given that it is funded by the Saudis who have an abysmal human rights record.
“We call on all Americans to see this unsavory attempt to downplay the appalling bone-saw attack on Washington Post opinion writer Jamal Khashoggi for what it is – an attempt to sweep under the rug a brutal state-sponsored murder,” the national press said. Club said in their searing statement. “We call on people of conscience to reject this tournament. Don’t attend. Don’t watch it on TV. Let it fail.”
The National Press Club criticized Trump for holding the event in Bedminster. He said Trump’s role succeeded in making the event “even more revolting” as he reminded the group that the former president had worked hard to downplay Khashoggi’s murder.
The journalism advocacy organization continued: “We note that during one of LIV’s first press conferences, their managers shouted a question from an AP reporter and escorted him out of the room. saying he was being rude. That’s how the LIV episode started. They silenced the press. Again.
And the National Press Club concluded its statement discouraging public relations firms from doing business with LIV Golf. “We note that LIV is currently seeking representation from a public relations firm to make the massacre of a journalist more palatable to the American public through golf,” the organization said. “We are calling on public relations firms, many of which employ former journalists, to reject this blood money. We understand that clients need to be represented, but it seems reasonable to draw a line under clients who use a bonesaw on a journalist. We hope the future PR firm thinks very carefully before agreeing to work for LIV.”
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“No one has asked me that question in months,” Trump added.
Trump, however, said he believed LIV had generated “great publicity for Saudi Arabia”. According to him, the country “deserves this ‘advertisement’ for what it is doing ‘with the LIV golf league’ because it has become very exciting”. Trump said he thinks the PR is worth “billions of dollars…”