President Donald Trump has described the plea deal for golfer Tiger Woods as "very fair" following the sports icon's five-year driving ban. Woods pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge on Wednesday, stemming from a rollover crash in Florida in March. He had initially faced accusations of driving under the influence.
According to a sheriff's report, Woods' SUV clipped a truck and overturned on a residential road near his Jupiter Island home. Deputies at the scene reported finding two pain pills in Woods' possession and noted signs of impairment. While Woods took a Breathalyzer test that registered negative for alcohol, he refused a urine test.
Bodycam footage later released showed Woods speaking on the phone in the moments after the crash. "I was just talking with the President," Woods could be heard saying to a police officer. The 15-time major winner is dating Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of President Trump.
When asked for his thoughts on Woods' legal situation by a reporter in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump stated the outcome was "very fair." He added that he had previously advised Woods to "get somebody to drive him" and that "he's going to have somebody drive him from now on."
"He's just a very special guy and I'm glad that was resolved," Trump said. He also noted that the situation was difficult because "they didn't find alcohol on him. You know, he didn't test positive at all for alcohol. It's a tough deal when you're taking a painkiller because you're under pain... and you have a problem and you test positive."
During his hearing, Woods also pleaded no contest to refusing to submit to a chemical test and was fined $1,500. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as a conviction. Woods' manager, Mark Steinberg, stated that the golfer "is not absolved of accountability" and is prioritizing his treatment and health.
Prosecutors had stated that two toxicologists found insufficient proof of impairment, suggesting Woods had developed a "pharmacological" tolerance from years of pain pill use. State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl defended the plea deal, citing lawful prescriptions for Woods' medication, which he has taken for numerous leg and back surgeries over two decades.
Woods was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump in 2019 and maintains a close relationship with the former president.