Fact Check: Video shows Trump cheating at golf in Scotland
A video authentically shows U.S. President Donald Trump cheating at golf by violating rules while playing at his Trump Turnberry resort in Turnberry, Scotland, in late July 2025.
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A rumor that circulated online in late July 2025 claimed a video showed U.S. President Donald Trump cheating at golf by violating rules while playing at his Trump Turnberry resort in Turnberry, Scotland. Trump's trip to his golf course, scheduled for July 25-29, also featured an on-site meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among other official matters and meetings.
Snopes received reader emails and website searches asking about the rumor. For example, one user emailed, "Did Trump get caught on video cheating at golf while playing in Scotland?" Another reader shared a link with the words, "Video of Trump's caddie helping him cheat at golf." That reader's link led to a Facebook post (archived) featuring the video with the caption, "The Golf Cheat Caught Red Handed. The undefeated Trump Club Champion exposed: Watch his caddie magically drop a ball for him without anyone noticing."
The post, receiving over 5 million views, shows Trump driving a golf cart with two men walking nearby, both accompanying him as caddies. In the video, one of the caddies leans down and, without fully turning around, tosses a golf ball behind him on the fairway. The ball then bounces and rolls a short distance before settling, presumably making it easier for Trump to hit than where his previous stroke landed. Users also shared this clip on Bluesky (archived), Instagram (archived), Threads (archived), TikTok (archived), X (archived) and YouTube.
The video truly showed Trump golfing at his Turnberry resort, either on July 26 or 27, as confirmed by comparing the clip to photos hosted by Getty Images, as well as several publishers' YouTube videos. While the casual, competitive or other nature of the round remained unknown, the clip authentically depicted Trump as violating — with the assistance of a caddie — golf rules that might allow a player to achieve a better outcome. Further, users' usage of the term "cheating" correctly aligned with some of Merriam-Webster's definitions of the word, including "to violate rules dishonestly" and "to use unfair or dishonest methods to gain an advantage."
Snopes contacted the White House by email to ask about the cheating allegations and will update this article if we receive more information.
Official golf rules and second video
The United States Golf Association (USGA), based in the U.S., and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), based in Scotland, are two primary governing bodies for the game of golf. The organizations maintain the sport's rules. Their book, "Rules of Golf," displays both the USGA and R&A logos.
According to the R&A website (archived), if a player needs to perform what's known in golf as a drop, "Rule 14.3b(2)/1" requires the player to "drop the ball from a location at the player's knee height when in a standing position." Rules require a drop when a player cannot play a ball as it lies, as in penalty areas such as a pond, or in an unplayable position or out of bounds. The USGA website (archived) further clarifies, "Your caddie is not allowed to drop your ball."
Another video circulating from the same weekend shows Trump getting out of a golf cart, walking several steps, leaning down and placing his ball on the fairway. He then brushes aside unidentifiable debris with his hand from around the ball. The clip depicts the green as visible nearby in the background. His placement of the ball directly onto the fairway violates the aforementioned knee-height drop rule. An X user posted (archived) the clip with the caption, "He lies and cheats at everything."
Users also shared this clip on Threads (archived), TikTok (archived) and X (archived).
Trump's history of cheating allegations in golf
In 2019, sportswriter and author Rick Reilly published a book titled "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump," alleging Trump has a long history of cheating at golf. That December, The Guardian reported on Reilly's claims. BBC.com and Golf.com also published articles regarding Reilly's allegations.
In March 2024, People.com reported that a Trump spokesperson denied Reilly's claims of cheating.
For further reading, a previous fact check examined whether a video truly showed Trump swinging a golf club, missing the ball and then picking up the ball off the tee.
"14 Procedures for Ball: Marking, Lifting and Cleaning; Replacing on Spot; Dropping in Relief Area; Playing from Wrong Place." R&A, https://www.randa.org/rog/clarifications/rule-14.
"Definition of CHEAT." Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheat.
Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com/.
McCool, Mary. "Security Tightens as Donald Trump Plays Golf at Turnberry." BBC.com, 26 Jul. 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4210lygko.
McRae, Donald. "Rick Reilly: 'Donald Trump Will Cheat You on the Golf Course and Then Buy You Lunch.'" The Guardian, 10 Dec. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/10/rick-reilly-donald-trump-golf-commander-in-cheat-book-interview.
Reilly, Rick. "How and Why President Trump Cheats at Golf — Even When He's Playing against Tiger Woods." Golf.com, 2 Apr. 2019, https://golf.com/lifestyle/celebrities/how-why-president-trump-cheats-golf-playing-tiger-woods/.
"Rule 9 - Ball Played as It Lies; Ball at Rest Lifted or Moved." USGA, https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/players-edition/rule-9.html.
Speakman, Kimberlee. "How Donald Trump Cheats at Golf, According to a Sportswriter: 'He Will Do Anything.'" People.com, 27 Mar. 2024, https://people.com/donald-trump-cheats-golf-rick-reilly-claims-8621189.
"The Rules of Golf 2023." R&A Publications, https://publications.randa.org/rules-of-golf-2023.
"Topic - Dropping." USGA, https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/topics/dropping.html.
Weissert, Will. "Trump Talks Gaza, Ukraine and His Golf Course, in Meeting with UK's Prime Minister." The Associated Press, 28 Jul. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-scotland-starmer-golf-course-trade-cf9ebbfb9cb2614ec59f0de67d3fd5fc.
---. "Trump Will Visit Scotland, Where His Family Has Golf Courses, and Will Talk Trade with Starmer." The Associated Press, 17 Jul. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-scotland-starmer-golf-courses-683ffbb0b82340828e37c43dba7a441f.
Zurcher, Anthony. "Tee Time with Trump - Striking Balls and Deals over 18 Holes." BBC.com, 26 Jul. 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2y4w47deo.
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