George W. Bush's Comments on Golfing During Wartime Resurface After Trump Hits the Links amid Iran War

George W. Bush's Comments on Golfing During Wartime Resurface After Trump Hits the Links amid Iran War https://ift.tt/3nOBTzl

“I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” Bush said in a 2008 interview

President George W. Bush in 2001 (left); President Donald Trump on July 29, 2025 (right)
Credit: Eric Draper/White House via CNP/Getty; ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• A 2008 interview with former President George W. Bush has resurfaced amid President Donald Trump going golfing during the Iran-Israel-U.S. war
• “I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” Bush said in the interview
• Then he added, “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal”

A 2008 interview with former President George W. Bush has resurfaced after President Donald Trump chose to play a round of golf amid the Iran-Israel-U.S. war.

In a May 2008 White House interview with Politico, Bush said he decided to quit golf after the August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which killed the top U.N. official in Iraq – Sergio Vieira de Mello.

“I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man’s life,” he told the outlet. “I was playing golf — I think I was in central Texas — and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, ‘It’s just not worth it anymore to do.’ ”

“I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” he continued. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”

Former President George W. Bush playing golf in 2001 during the first term of his presidency
Credit: TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty

The interview resurfaced after Trump was seen playing golf on Sunday, March 8, three days after a Time cover story titled "Trump's War" was published on Thursday, March 5.

During the interview, Time correspondent Eric Cortellessa questioned Trump about the details of the unfolding war with Iran. 

When asked whether Americans should be worried about being attacked on U.S. soil, the president stated, “I guess," adding, “But I think they’re worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah, you know, we expect some things."

"Like I said, some people will die," Trump, 79, continued. "When you go to war, some people will die."

The photos of Trump golfing were published one day before a Pentagon official confirmed to The Washington Post that about 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in the war with Iran and seven U.S. troops have died. 

Although the majority of the wounded only have minor injuries, the Pentagon spokesman said eight are severely wounded and “receiving the  highest level of medical care.”

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During a testimony before the House's Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee on April 8, 2025, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett slammed the Trump administration over government spending.

“If we are gonna talk about efficiency… let’s talk about the fact that, as of March 30, Trump’s golfing has cost us approximately $26 million,” Crockett said.

“The last time I checked, we’re not getting anything in return for that,” she continued. “So, I will get back on my remarks, but I just wanted to point out that maybe we need to talk about the president and his golfing habits... He has decided that he wanted to play games while the rest of us are really trying to make sure that we can serve the American people.”