Trump warmly welcomed at Presidents Cup in Medinah: short speech before golf after asking for 15 minutes

US President Donald Trump was warmly received by the crowd at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, shortly before the start of Sunday’s Presidents Cup matches, as USA Today reports. Trump appeared next to the tournament trophy after being introduced by PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp.

Although he had asked for 15 minutes for a speech, he chose to keep his remarks very short, USA Today reports: “Brian said can you give a short speech and I said: ‘No, I don’t have the guts to give a speech. These people want to see golf. They don’t want to hear speeches.'”

He joked about the “fake news” media, which, he said, would report that he was poorly received, and added that “our country is doing great, better than ever before.” From the stands, some fans chanted “four more years,” USA Today writes. The president greeted the players of both teams, the US and the International, ahead of the first hole of each.

This was his first visit to the Chicago area during his second presidential term. Security measures had been reinforced: entry to the first-hole grandstand required TSA-style screening, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary departure freeze at O’Hare International Airport due to the “VIP,” while the presidential plane Air Force One was seen flying over Medinah, USA Today reports.

Trump is the honorary chairman of this edition of the tournament — the second time for him, after 2017 at Liberty National. Six other American presidents have held this role before: Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.