Donald Trump’s Sunday appearance at the Presidents Cup came with the usual signs of a presidential visit: a crowd, cameras and chants of “USA.” Then a heckler shouted a profane accusation as Trump stepped out at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago, turning a moment on the live golf broadcast into another flashpoint around the president.
Trump was at Medinah as the tournament’s honorary chairman. His appearance came a day after he attended the Texas–Tennessee football game in Knoxville, where some spectators booed when he appeared on the stadium screen. Reporting from inside Neyland Stadium described a crowd that largely cheered, a reminder of how differently a huge venue can sound from one section to the next.
The interruptions have followed Trump onto the campaign trail, too. At a September rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, where he was backing Senate candidate Michael Whatley, a woman disrupted his speech. Trump stopped to address her as she was escorted away, saying, “Oh, it’s a she. Hello. She’s going home to mama,” and suggesting her mother was watching on television and furious.
A month earlier, hecklers interrupted his Myrtle Beach rally for Senate candidate Darline Graham. In July, an audience member shouted accusations during Trump’s appearance at a General Motors facility in Michigan. Trump called the man a “communist” as supporters chanted “USA” and security removed the protester.
Now even a golf tournament has joined the list of places where someone has seized a few seconds to confront him. With the midterms approaching and Trump making appearances for Republican candidates, those unscripted moments are becoming part of the public scene around his presidency, whether they happen beside a campaign stage or along the fairway.
