Trump Hosting Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Event Spotlights Deep Conflicts of Interest

President Donald Trump’s decision to host a LIV Golf event at his Sterling, Virginia property this past weekend has once again thrust his tangled conflicts of interest into the spotlight. LIV Golf, a league bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — a government entity widely condemned for human rights violations including the brutal 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — has long found a sanctuary in Trump’s golf empire. Now, with Saudi Arabia planning to end its funding after the 2026 season, the optics of Trump’s association with the league raise urgent ethical questions.

Saudi Arabia has aggressively pursued “sportswashing” strategies, investing billions to polish its international image through high-profile sports ventures. Beyond LIV Golf, the kingdom has secured a decade-long Formula 1 deal, purchased a major English soccer team, and lured global soccer stars to its league. Critics argue Trump’s willingness to partner with such a regime reveals his priorities: profit and power over principle.

Kathleen Clark, a government ethics law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, bluntly called Saudi Arabia “a murderous, authoritarian, anti-democratic region,” underscoring the moral bankruptcy of Trump’s engagement. Despite CIA assessments implicating Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi’s assassination, Trump dismissed the murder as a politically motivated controversy and lavished praise on the crown prince during a White House meeting, signaling a disturbing indifference to human rights abuses.

Trump’s avid golfing and hosting of tournaments at his properties— including last week’s PGA Tour stop in Florida and this LIV event — are more than mere hobbies. Ethics experts warn these events obscure the flow of money to the Trump family’s businesses. Although Trump claims his assets are managed by his children’s trust, independent observers see a clear message: to stay in the administration’s good graces, do business with the Trump family or their golf courses.

Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota corporate law professor, warned that this “is just going to be the tip of the iceberg” in conflicts of interest. Trump’s blending of business and the presidency extends beyond golf — from accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, dining with cryptocurrency investors, to promoting his Scottish golf resorts — all raising red flags about corruption and self-dealing.

Despite mounting concerns, Congressional leaders have largely remained silent. Don Heider, ethics director at Santa Clara University, called on lawmakers to break their silence and hold the president accountable for these blatant ethical breaches.

Trump’s deep immersion in the sports world — attending major events from the Daytona 500 to UFC fights — is unprecedented for a sitting president and often draws public ire. Yet, his use of sporting events at his own properties as profit centers while in office marks a dangerous erosion of democratic norms and ethics.

As Trump continues to blur the lines between public service and private enrichment, the urgent need for accountability grows. The American people deserve transparency and leaders who put country over cash — not a president turning the highest office into a personal business venture.