I am thoroughly disgusted by the disrespectful way Donald Trump spoke during his Latrobe rally about Arnold Palmer, a decent, respectful and honorable gentleman. Palmer knew Trump because of their mutual interest in golf.
Below is an excerpt from a September 2018 article in Sporting News written by Palmer’s biographer and friend, Thomas Hauser, with Palmer’s daughter addressing the question of what Palmer would think of Trump if he were still alive:
“One moment stands out in my mind,” Peg recounted. “My dad and I were at home in Latrobe. He died in September, so this was before the election. The television was on. Trump was talking. And my dad made a sound of disgust — like ‘uck’ or ‘ugg’ — like he couldn’t believe the arrogance and crudeness of this man who was the nominee of the political party that he believed in. Then he said, ‘He’s not as smart as we thought he was,’ and walked out of the room. What would my dad think of Donald Trump today? I think he’d cringe.”
Trump’s behavior and words in Latrobe are beyond the pale. If Palmer thought Trump was crude in 2016, can you imagine what he would think of Trump’s behavior now — especially in his hometown and that of Fred Rogers?
This article was written in 2018, before the events of Jan. 6, Trump’s convictions and indictments, before his crude comments and behavior toward women came to light. I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly vote for Trump after his disgraceful and reprehensible performance in Latrobe.
Kathleen Acklin
Ligonier