'He Doesn't Have an Alcohol Problem' — Trump Defends Tiger Woods After DUI Arrest, Citing Chronic Back and Leg Pain

Donald Trump has commented on Tiger Woods' DUI arrest last Friday in Florida. Speaking to the New York Post in an exclusive phone interview on Tuesday, the president said he had already been in touch with the golf legend and that Woods was 'doing great' despite the incident.

'I have talked with Woods,' Trump said. 'I think he's doing great, he's doing good.' He pushed back on any suggestion that the arrest pointed to a drinking problem. 'He doesn't have an alcohol problem, but he does have pain,' noting that Woods tested negative for alcohol and had long been dealing with serious physical injuries to his back and leg.

What the Arrest Affidavit Says

The crash happened around 2 pm on 27 March near South Beach Road in Jupiter Island. Woods had been driving behind a truck with a trailer when it slowed to make a turn. He attempted to pass, crossing a double solid line into oncoming traffic, and struck the rear of the trailer, causing his SUV to flip onto its driver's side.

Deputies who arrived at the scene noted several signs of impairment. Woods was sweating profusely despite cool air in the police vehicle; his movement was described as 'lethargic and slow,' and his eyes appeared 'bloodshot and glassy' with 'extremely dilated' pupils. He agreed to field sobriety tests but was visibly struggling — limping and stumbling to the right, telling deputies he had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his leg.

Two white pills identified as hydrocodone were found in his trouser pocket during a search after his arrest. Woods told deputies he had consumed no alcohol but said he takes 'a few' prescription medications and had taken them earlier that morning. A breathalyser test later confirmed no alcohol in his system, but Woods refused to provide a urine sample — resulting in a second misdemeanour charge under Florida's 'Trenton's Law,' legislation strengthened in October 2025 that makes refusal to submit to a lawful DUI test a separate criminal offence.

Decades of Physical Wear

The 2021 crash outside Los Angeles left Woods with 'comminuted open fractures' to both the upper and lower portions of his right tibia and fibula, along with significant damage to his ankle and surrounding soft tissue. He later said it had been 50-50 as to whether his leg would need to be amputated. The recovery alone took the better part of two years, and he has never fully returned to competitive form since.

Hydrocodone —the opioid found in his pocket — is typically prescribed for severe, chronic pain. Woods had been eyeing a return to competitive golf ahead of the Masters at Augusta National, scheduled for 9–12 April, though he had not committed to playing. Just days before the crash, he had taken part in the TGL indoor golf league finals. Whether he lines up at Augusta now remains very much in doubt.

This Has Happened Before

This is not the first time Woods has faced a DUI charge in Florida. Back in 2017, police found him asleep at the wheel in Jupiter. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving rather than DUI, and a toxicology report from that incident showed he had tested positive for five substances, including hydrocodone. Woods attributed that episode to an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications and later entered a clinic for treatment related to prescription pain medication and a sleep disorder.

Woods is currently dating Vanessa Trump, the former wife of Donald Trump Jr, which gives the president's unusually personal defence of the golfer an added layer of context. His representatives have not publicly commented on the arrest.

The timing could hardly be worse for Woods. Since recovering from the 2021 crash, he has played in just 11 tournaments and completed only four. Each attempted comeback has been met with fresh setbacks, and this latest incident — arriving weeks before the sport's most prestigious major — raises serious questions about what comes next for one of golf's greatest ever players.