Trump's role as LIV Golf host renews scrutiny over conflicts of interest

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED May 10, 2026, 1:03 PM ET


Experts are raising conflict-of-interest and ethical concerns after President Donald Trump hosted a LIV Golf event at his Virginia property this weekend, renewing scrutiny over whether the Trump family is financially benefiting from his time in office while supporting a golf league backed by a government accused of human rights abuses.

For years, Trump’s courses have served as both a refuge and a showcase for LIV, whose chief backer, Saudi Arabia’s government, has been accused of human rights violations. (The Saudi government announced last month that it will stop funding the league after the 2026 season.) Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of using the golf league in part to divert attention from its human rights concerns, particularly following the 2018 killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

It comes as the country’s Public Investment Fund has invested aggressively in sports more broadly, signing high-profile stars to increase the global prominence of its soccer league and leading a consortium to buy an English soccer team. Saudi Arabia also signed a 10-year deal with Formula 1 in 2021 to host annual races.

Those moves have led to widespread accusations of “sportswashing” — a concept that involves nations using high-profile sporting events to project a favorable image of their country. “Saudi Arabia is a murderous, authoritarian, anti-democratic region,” Kathleen Clark, a law professor in government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis, told CNN. “(Trump’s) willingness to do this is actually a really nice example about what his priorities are.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/10/politics/trump-golf-courses-conflict-of-interest