President Donald Trump appeared to lose his train of thought while making a public announcement Friday, abruptly interrupting his prepared remarks as PGA golfer Keegan Bradley walked into view.
The moment turned into a bizarre digression, with Trump applauding Bradley as “somebody that saves lives” before returning to his original remarks.
Trump had been speaking to reporters at the White House after expressing disappointment that he was not awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize — a snub he framed as unfair, given his recent role in brokering ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
He told assembled journalists that María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan activist who won the prize, had called him and said she accepted the honor “in honor of you because you really deserved it.”
As his speech progressed, Trump doubled down on self-praise. “I’m happy because I saved millions of lives, many millions of lives,” he said, reiterating a claim he’s made repeatedly — that he has ended multiple conflicts during his presidency.
Then, unexpectedly, his gaze shifted. He noticed Keegan Bradley among those gathered and abruptly pivoted. “And speaking of somebody that saves lives, don’t ever play golf with him because Keegan Bradley just walked in,” Trump said.
He lauded Bradley’s leadership as former Ryder Cup captain, recalled how the U.S. team nearly rallied under his helm, and called him “respected by those golfers like nobody.”
Bradley, meanwhile, was reportedly attending as a guest; earlier in the year, Trump publicly endorsed Bradley to be a “playing captain” of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
That endorsement wasn’t merely rhetorical. Trump’s relationship with golf has long been prominent — he owns multiple courses globally and has been actively involved in the sport’s politics. Ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup, officials confirmed that Trump would attend the event at Bethpage Black, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.
Organizers put in place heightened security measures, including additional screening zones and directives for spectators to arrive early, anticipating the disruptions that had arisen when Trump attended the U.S. Open tennis final in New York.
U.S. team members seemed to welcome his support. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said Trump’s attendance would “feed confidence” and galvanize the home crowd.
Bradley also expressed gratitude, calling the president’s presence “incredible” and an honor for the U.S. squad. Still, not all agreed with Trump’s public urgings: despite being urged by Trump to include himself as a player, Bradley eventually declined the playing role — choosing to focus full time on his captain responsibilities.
