美国前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)周一接受采访时表示，他可以“理解这种感受”，但不理解9/11受害者悲痛的家人抗议LIV高尔夫邀请赛的立场。LIV高尔夫邀请赛是一场奢华的、沙特支持的全球比赛，很快将在他的一个高尔夫球场举办华尔街日报.
周五，新泽西州贝德明斯特的特朗普国家高尔夫俱乐部(Trump National Golf Club)将举办由沙特阿拉伯主权财富基金资助的LIV Golf的第三场比赛，这位前总统面临的停止比赛的压力来自9/11恐怖袭击遇难者家属联盟。
“我不太了解9/11家庭，我不知道这与他们非常强烈的感受有什么关系，我可以理解他们的感受，”川普告诉华尔街日报。“我真的不能对此发表评论，因为我不知道他们到底在说什么，也不知道他们在说什么，谁做了什么。”
特朗普国家多拉尔迈阿密将在今年晚些时候举办另一场LIV活动。
这些家庭对沙特阿拉伯在9/11袭击中的角色提出了异议——大多数袭击者是沙特国民，但沙特政府一直否认参与其中——只是对该国现在参与“体育洗涤“最近的一种趋势，批评者称之为通过参与高调的体育赛事来破坏一个国家的声誉。
家庭联盟之一，9/11正义，周二发布了一份广告展示了特朗普贝德明斯特球场的图像——联盟成员质疑这位前总统预定举办这场引人注目的体育赛事的计划。
广告中的一名男子说:“这场高尔夫锦标赛将在距离世贸中心遗址50英里的地方举行。”。
“真恶心。比一记耳光还糟糕，”另一个人说。
“要多少钱才能背弃自己的国家?”一个女人问。
911司法部门将举行一次抗议在周五为期三天的比赛开始时，就在贝德明斯特高尔夫俱乐部的街道上。
另一个联盟，911家庭联盟，举行了一个记者招待会在贝德明斯特俱乐部附近星期二.
本月早些时候，德克萨斯州共和党众议员奇普·罗伊撰写了一篇山上的专栏在那里，他谴责了参加沙特高尔夫锦标赛的美国高尔夫球手，称这些运动员是在向沙特王国“出卖自己”。
在一个自录音再现装置发出的高音罗伊称赞一些9/11受害者的家庭成员，称丽芙高尔夫“阴险地出卖给资助恐怖分子的君主。”
9/11家庭联合会(Families United)上个月呼吁总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)在最近访问沙特阿拉伯之前，确保“他的政府的参与不会忽视早就应该承担的责任”。
拜登政府发言人告诉美国广播公司新闻，“我们的心永远与9/11幸存者和受苦的家庭在一起”，并指出总统已经采取措施追究责任。
“拜登总统承诺确保法律规定的最大程度的透明度，并协助这些家庭在解密9/11文件方面寻求全面问责，”该发言人说。
特朗普在任期间与沙特阿拉伯王储保持了密切的关系，甚至在离任后继续与该王国保持商业联系。
Trump evades question on Saudi-backed golf event at his NJ club
Former President Donald Trump said he can "understand the feelings" but doesn't grasp the position of the grieving families of 9/11 victims protesting the LIV Golf Invitational, a lavish, Saudi-backed global contest soon to be hosted at one of his golf courses, in a Monday interview withThe Wall Street Journal.
On Friday, Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, will host the third event for LIV Golf, funded by Saudi Arabia's sovereign-wealth fund, as pressure for the former president to halt the tournament mounts from coalitions of the family members of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Golfers gather at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., on Oct. 2, 2020. A group of Sept. 11 victims' family members are condemning former President Donald Trump for hosting the Saudi-backed LIV golf tour at his New Jersey course later this month.
Seth Wenig/AP, FILE
"I don't know much about the 9/11 families, I don't know what is the relationship to this, and their very strong feelings, and I can understand their feelings," Trump told The Wall Street Journal. "I can't really comment on that because I don't know exactly what they're saying, and what they're saying who did what."
Trump National Doral Miami will host another LIV event later this year.
The families have taken issue with Saudi Arabia's role in the 9/11 attacks -- most of the attackers were Saudi nationals, but the Saudi government has consistently denied involvement -- only for the country to now engage in "sportswashing," a recent trend that critics call the sanitation of a country's reputation by engaging in high-profile sporting events.
One of the coalitions of families, 9/11 Justice, on Tuesday released anadvertisementfeaturing images of Trump's Bedminster course -- with coalition members questioning the former president's scheduled plans to host the splashy sports event.
"This golf tournament is taking place 50 miles from Ground Zero," a man in the ad says.
"It's disgusting. Worse than a slap in the face," says another.
"How much money to turn your back on your own country?" a woman asks.
9/11 Justice is slated to hold aprotestat the start of the three-day tournament on Friday, just down the street from the Bedminster golf club.
Another coalition, 9/11 Families United, held apress conferencenear the Bedminster club onTuesday.
Earlier this month, Texas Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, authored anop-ed in The Hillwhere he denounced the American golfers who are taking part in the Saudi golf tournament, saying the athletes are "selling themselves" out to the kingdom.
In atweet, Roy applauded some of the 9/11 victims' family members for calling out LIV Golf "for its insidious selling out to a terrorist-funding sovereign."
9/11 Families United called on President Joe Biden last month to make sure "his administration's engagement does not neglect long-overdue accountability," ahead of his recent trip to Saudi Arabia.
A Biden administration spokesperson told ABC News that "our hearts are always with the 9/11 survivors and families who are suffering" and noted the president has taken steps toward accountability.
"President Biden made a commitment to ensuring the maximum degree of transparency under the law and to assist these families in their work to seek full accountability regarding the declassification of 9/11 documents," the spokesperson said.
Trump had maintained a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia's crown prince while he was in office, even continuing business ties with the kingdom upon leaving office.
