Trump rejects 9/11 families' demand to cancel golf event

Former President Donald Trump is ignoring criticism from survivors and relatives of the 9/11 terror attacks and is actively promoting the new Saudi Arabia-backed golf league.

The LIV Golf Invitational will be held at Trump's Bedminster course July 29 to 31.

The group 9/11 Justice sent a letter to the former president asking him to cancel the event.

"We simply cannot understand how you could agree to accept money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's golf league to host their tournament at your golf course, and to do so in the shadows of ground zero in New Jersey, which lost over 700 residents during the attacks," the letter read. The New York Times first reported the contents of the letter on Sunday.

Trump has long professed he believes Saudi Arabia was behind the terror attacks.

"Who blew up the World Trade Center," Trump told Fox News in 2016, "Take a look at Saudi Arabia."

Trump's businesses are promoting the July LIV Golf event on Twitter. Trump is still personally banned from Twitter, but posted on his own social media platform his support for the new Saudi-backed league and criticism of the PGA.

"All of those golfers that remain 'loyal' to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms," Trump wrote, "Will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big "thank you" from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year."

The PGA canceled an event at Trump's Bedminster course after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Some of the biggest names in golf have signed on to play in the controversial LIV golf series, including Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson was asked about playing in Bedminster despite the concerns of 9/11 families.

"I would say to everyone who has lost loved ones, lost friends, in 9/11, I have deep, deep empathy for them," he said without addressing the letter or the criticism of the league directly.

The 9/11 Justice members were hoping to meet with Trump to discuss their concerns and urge him to sever all ties to the Saudi kingdom.

"It is incomprehensible to us, Mr. Trump, that a former president of the United States would cast our loved ones aside for personal financial gain," they wrote.

As of this writing, they have received no response to their letter.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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