At a recent rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Donald Trump made headlines for his comments about the late golfing legend Arnold Palmer, which have drawn both interest and criticism. Trump not only honored Palmer, calling him one of the "greatest golfers in the world," but he also made some controversial remarks about the late golfer's physique.
During the event on October 19th, Trump described Palmer as "all man" and shared some eyebrow-raising anecdotes about the golfer’s time with other professionals at the shower. He commented, "This guy was strong, and I refuse to say it, but when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, 'Oh my God. That’s unbelievable.'" Call it Trump being Trump, but many found these remarks to be, at best, peculiar.
Trump's offbeat humor aside, the reactions trickled out immediately, particularly from Palmer’s daughter, Peg Palmer Wears. Speaking to the Associated Press, she expressed her mixed feelings about what her father would have thought of Trump’s comments. Wears was direct, stating, "I’m not really upset, but I think it was a poor choice of approaches to remembering my father, but what are you going to do?" When the daughter of such a distinguished figure weighs in, it certainly catches attention.
Arnold Palmer, beloved not just for his golf prowess but also for his charismatic personality, passed away at the age of 87 back in 2016. During Trump's rally, the former president emphasized Palmer’s crowd-magnetism, saying, "If I had him here right now with me, this crowd would be going absolutely crazy... He would electrify a crowd," celebrating Palmer’s ability to connect with people.
Reflecting on her father's political views, Wears noted, "A day doesn't go by I don’t think about what my father would say about something or what’s happening. He believed in the Republican Party." Yet she reminded everyone they didn’t always see eye to eye on various issues.
Wears painted her father as someone who was not just passionate about golf but also deeply invested in the values he held dear as part of the American identity. Palmer had once shared his thoughts on politics candidly. According to his daughter, he believed fervently in this nation, even questioning its direction from time to time. She recalled him saying, "My dad had no patience for people who demean others publicly," shining light on how he viewed Trump, especially as the former president's political career took off.
Reports from earlier years following Trump’s political ascent indicated much disdain from Palmer about Trump's approach. Wears once shared how her father reacted with visible disbelief at Trump’s behavior on screen, likening to disgust with remarks like "uck" or "ugg." Despite their shared connections through golf, it seemed Trump had rubbed her father the wrong way.
At the same rally, Trump didn’t shy away from criticizing current Vice President Kamala Harris, ramping up his rhetoric against her with remarks projecting powerful disdain. "You’re the worst Vice President. Kamala, you’re fired. Get the hell out of here," he declared to eager crowds. While returning to his Palmer anecdotes, Trump appeared to merge both praise and risqué remarks, weaving through glory and shock value with ease.
Throughout it all, what remains is the complexity of how legendary figures like Palmer are remembered — items of nostalgia and tales of their character may gain attention from political figures, but they can sometimes be overshadowed by off-the-cuff comments. For Peg Wears, maintaining her father’s integrity during this delicate conversation proves to be her compass. The world might see the comedic side of Trump’s comments, but for her, they were more about how to appropriately and respectfully honor her father’s legacy.
