Survivors of 9/11 and their family members on Friday blasted former President Donald Trump and pro golfers for participating in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf event at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. this week.
Why it matters: Victims of the September 11 attacks have been protesting the LIV Golf event due to the circuit's ties to Saudi Arabia. Fifteen of the 19 attackers on 9/11 were citizens of Saudi Arabia.
What they're saying: "If we can't get a golfer to at least look us in the eye and tell us that they're doing it for the money ... they're cowards," Brett Eagleson, founder of the 9/11 Justice group said at a press conference from Bedminster, N.J. "Our loved ones are the heroes. The golfers and the former president are cowards."
- Juliet Scoso, a member of the 9/11 Justice group, accused the former president, as well as golfers Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, of selling out their loyalty to the United States.
- "We 9/11 families would trade any amount of money in the world just to see our loved ones again," she said.
Flashback: Families of 9/11 victims have been criticizing the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour this week, asking Trump to cancel the event and launching an ad that criticized the former president, the Washington Post reports.
- In response, Trump told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week that he "can't really comment" on the 9/11 families concerns "because I don’t know exactly what they're saying, and what they're saying who did what."
- Trump this week told ESPN that "nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11."
Go deeper ...
- Trump defends hosting LIV Golf event: "Nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11"
- Trump: LIV Golf worth "billions of dollars" for Saudi Arabia
- Trump says controversial LIV Golf "worth billions" for Saudi Arabia
