President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump, a Trump 2020 senior campaign adviser, slammed critics of Tiger Woods after the golfer accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump on Monday, and said the golfer "knows the true Donald Trump."
Lara Trump, who is married to the president's son Eric, defended Woods and her father-in-law after Fox News @ Night anchor Shannon Bream read a couple lines from a Baltimore Sun editorial lamenting Woods's decision to stand with the president, unlike other athletes.
"We wish Mr. Woods would have taken a stand against hatred and declined the award given the racial and ethnic rift Mr. Trump has widened and exploited in the country since taking office," the editorial published Monday states. "Mr. Woods has made his choice, and part of his legacy will be embracing a man who incited bigotry and racism."
Lara Trump said Woods had known Donald Trump for many years before he became president.
"He knows the true Donald Trump, not the one that the mainstream media tries to post up all the time. All the nonsense you see," Lara Trump said.
She said her father-in-law "is a man who has never been a racist, they continue to try and beat this drum about a racist narrative."
Lara Trump added that Woods deserved the Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian awards, more than anyone else and that she was "so happy" that the president decided to give it to him.
"What a shame that people are trying to take away such a great moment for him, for his family. I thought it was a beautiful ceremony. Tiger Woods is the epitome of what people should try to be like in this country," Lara Trump said. "He had a downward spiral. Things were looking a little bad for him. He came back not only on the golf course but in life,"
Woods, 43, on April 14 won his fifth Masters title after nearly 11 years without winning a championship and facing multiple injuries and personal hardships.
Lara Trump gave "kudos to the president for giving him this honor" and said, "I think he deserves it and I think all of America knows he deserves it."
The Baltimore Sun editorial criticized Woods as "the opposite of athletes like basketball players Stephen Curry and Lebron James who have declined White House visits and openly criticized the president."
Woods after receiving the medal at the White House Rose Garden tweeted that it was "an incredible privilege," without naming Donald Trump.
"It's an incredible privilege to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom," Woods tweeted. "Considering the recipients, history, and what this means to me and my family, it's also very humbling. Thank you all for your support and I hope this inspires others to never give up on their dreams."
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