When Donald Trump took the stage at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, back in late 2024, he didn’t just give a standard campaign speech. He spent a solid twelve minutes talking about "The King." But it wasn't just about golf swings or green jackets. Trump famously veered into a locker room anecdote about Palmer’s anatomy that left a lot of people scratching their heads. It naturally made people wonder: did Arnold Palmer like Trump, or was this a one-sided bromance?
The truth is way more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no."
Honestly, you’ve got two guys who were titans in their own worlds—one a legend of the fairway, the other a real estate mogul who turned golf into a pillar of his brand. They were definitely friendly for years. They shared a deep, mutual love for the game and both leaned Republican. But as Trump’s political star rose, things seemingly took a turn behind closed doors.
The Golf Connection: A Shared History
For decades, Arnold Palmer and Donald Trump moved in the same elite circles. If you own world-class golf courses and you're a billionaire, you’re going to run into the most famous golfer on the planet. It’s basically unavoidable.
Trump clearly admired Palmer. Like, really admired him. He saw Palmer as the ultimate "man's man," a symbol of American strength and charisma. Palmer, for his part, was a polite, old-school guy. He would show up to Trump’s courses for charity fundraisers or ribbon-cutting ceremonies. They weren't best friends who texted every day, but there was a professional kinship built on the architecture of the game.
His daughter, Peg Palmer Wears, has even admitted that they shared a "kinship" over the sport. In a 2024 interview with the Associated Press, she noted that they had an "interest in golf and a love of golf."
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The Turning Point: When Politics Got Personal
While they were on good terms during Trump’s "celebrity" years, the 2016 election cycle reportedly changed the vibe. Arnold Palmer was a lifelong Republican. He was tight with Dwight D. Eisenhower. He believed in the party’s traditional values.
But Trump’s brand of politics? That was a different story.
According to his daughter, Palmer’s private opinion of Trump soured as the 2016 campaign ramped up. She recounted a specific moment to The Sporting News in 2018 that really paints a picture. Palmer was watching Trump on TV and apparently made a "sound of disgust"—something like an "uck" or "ugg."
"He couldn't believe the arrogance and crudeness of this man who was the nominee of the political party that he believed in," Peg Palmer Wears said.
She even claimed her father said, "He's not as smart as we thought he was," before walking out of the room. This wasn't about policy; it was about character. Palmer was a man of the "old guard." He valued civility, discipline, and being a role model. The bombastic, demeaning rhetoric that defined the Trump campaign reportedly "appalled" him.
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What Really Happened in Latrobe?
Fast forward to the 2024 campaign. Trump’s 12-minute monologue in Latrobe was intended to be a tribute to a hometown hero. He called Palmer "one of the greatest golfers in the world" and "all man."
Then came the "locker room" talk.
Trump told a story about Palmer in the showers, suggesting other pros were "unbelievable" by what they saw. It was classic Trump—crude, unfiltered, and designed to "electrify" a crowd. But for the Palmer family, it missed the mark.
Peg Palmer Wears called it a "poor choice of approaches" to honoring her father's memory. She wasn't necessarily outraged—she’s 68 and has seen it all—but she felt it was disrespectful. She argued that people at those rallies deserved substance, not "hackneyed anecdotes from the locker room."
Did Arnold Palmer Like Trump? The Verdict
If you’re looking for a definitive answer, here’s the most accurate breakdown:
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- Professionally: Yes, they had a functional, friendly relationship based on golf and business for years.
- Ideologically: They were both Republicans, but they belonged to very different wings of the party.
- Personally: Towards the end of his life (Palmer died in September 2016), Palmer seemed deeply disappointed in Trump’s behavior.
It’s a classic case of admiring the "brand" but disliking the "man." Trump clearly still carries a torch for the legend of Arnold Palmer. He views him as a paragon of American masculinity. Palmer, however, likely saw Trump as a disruption to the dignity and civility he spent his whole life trying to uphold.
Key Takeaways and Insights
When looking at the relationship between these two figures, don't just look at the headlines. Consider these points:
- Character over Politics: Palmer’s issues with Trump weren't about taxes or trade; they were about how a leader should carry themselves in public.
- The Golf Lens: For Trump, everything is filtered through the lens of competition and "greatness." His praise of Palmer is his way of aligning himself with a winner.
- Family Perspective: The most reliable insights come from Peg Palmer Wears, who consistently says her father would "cringe" at the current state of political discourse.
If you want to understand the modern intersection of sports and politics, the Palmer-Trump story is a perfect case study. It shows how even shared interests and shared parties can't always bridge the gap when personal values clash.
Next time you hear a story about the "The King," remember that he was a man who valued his privacy and his dignity just as much as his drive. He was a quintessential American who believed in the country, even when he questioned the direction it was headed.
Next Steps for Readers:
To get a better sense of Palmer's true character, look into his long-standing friendship with Dwight D. Eisenhower. It provides a stark contrast to his relationship with Trump and explains why he valued "civility" so highly. You can also research the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation to see how his family continues to protect his legacy from being used as a political prop.