Fact Check

Did Trump ask DeSantis to pardon Tiger Woods?

On March 27, 2026, Woods was arrested for driving under the influence after a rollover crash near his home in Florida.

by Taija PerryCook, Published March 30, 2026


This image shows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis playing golf over an image of U.S. President Donald Trump with professional golfer Tiger Woods.

Image courtesy of Image courtesy of Saul Loeb/AFP and Cliff Hawkins, accessed via Getty Images.


Claim:
A screenshot authentically shows a Truth Social post from U.S. President Donald Trump calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to pardon professional golfer Tiger Woods following his March 27, 2026, arrest for driving under the influence in Florida.
Rating:
Fake

About this rating


Following Tiger Woods' March 27, 2026, arrest for driving under the influence on Jupiter Island, Florida, an image spread online claiming to show a Truth Social Post from U.S. President Donald Trump calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to pardon the golfer.

A screenshot of Trump's alleged post spread on multiple platforms, with many commenters wondering whether it was real. The alleged post read:

I've just been told that Tiger Woods, who is a Great Golfer and even Greater American, was involved in a minor fender bender today, and as a result of a misunderstanding, was charged with a dreaded DUl. This happening as he attempts to return to professional golf. Everyone deserves a second chance, which Tiger never got, if we're being honest. That is why I am calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETELY PARDON Tiger so he can focus on The Masters and help to Make Golf Great Again!

This image depicts an alleged post by U.S. President Donald Trump in which he purportedly calls for Tiger Woods' pardon.

(Instagram user @historyinmemes)

Snopes readers also emailed us and searched our website to determine whether the post was authentic.

However, the post was fake. Searches of Trump's Truth Social account and an archive of his posts found no evidence that Trump called on DeSantis to pardon Woods.

This image shows

(Trump's Truth)

Though the profile photo and handle matched Trump's authentic Truth Social account, several signs indicated the purported screenshot was fake. It was missing a timestamp and engagement metrics, including ReTruths, likes and comments, found in authentic Truth Social posts. 

Snopes was unable to confirm the origin of the fake image. One seemingly popular post (archived) sharing it had been deleted as of this writing. 

Following Woods' 2026 crash, Trump told reporters, "I feel so badly. He's got some difficulty. There was an accident, and that's all I know. Very close friend of mine. He's an amazing person, an amazing man, but some difficulty."

Their friendship may have contributed to the rumor's spread. The two have reportedly golfed together multiple times since 2016. In March 2026, Woods was dating Vanessa Trump — Trump's former daughter-in-law. Trump also presented Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.

For further reading, we debunked a claim that Trump said he was no longer interested in making Canada the 51st U.S. state. 


By Taija PerryCook

Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman.

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