Camilla Jessen
Donald Trump is notorious for handing out brutal nicknames.
From “Crooked Hillary” to “Sleepy Joe,” Trump is notorious for handing out brutal nicknames.
But behind the scenes, he’s earned one of his own—and it’s not exactly flattering.
Crooked, Sleepy, and Birdbrain
Donald Trump has long made headlines for mocking his political opponents with derisive nicknames.
He famously dubbed former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “Crooked Hillary.”
His former presidential rival Joe Biden was labeled “Sleepy Joe.”
And former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was added to Trump’s long list of colorful monikers with the nickname “Birdbrain.”
Trump’s Own Moniker
But while the former president is famous for dishing it out, he’s also been on the receiving end—and one of his lesser-known nicknames says more about him than he might like.
This particular moniker has nothing to do with politics or TV, but rather with his beloved hobby: golf.
A Passion for Golf
Trump is a self-declared golf lover.
The president reportedly played more than 40 rounds during his presidency alone.
While his time on the links often drew criticism—especially during national crises—it’s the way he plays that has raised even more eyebrows
A Pattern of Accusations
Throughout the years, reports have stacked up accusing Trump of cheating on the course.
In fact, author and longtime sportswriter Rick Reilly wrote an entire book about it titled Commander in Cheat.
The name says it all.
“He Has to Win—And Will Do Anything to Cheat”
Reilly, who once played a round with Trump, described the experience in detail.
Speaking on MSNBC, he recalled Trump taking multiple mulligans and awarding himself “gimme chip-ins”—a rule Reilly had never even heard of.
“He cannot lose,” Reilly said. “He has to win, and he will do anything to cheat.”
Self-Declared Champion
The anecdotes didn’t stop there.
According to Reilly, Trump has declared himself the winner of tournaments he didn’t even attend—including one that supposedly took place during his summit with Kim Jong Un in North Korea.
Another story reveals that when Trump purchases a new golf course, he plays a single solo round and then names himself the club champion.
The Palm Beach Post reported that “nobody saw him play.”
The Nickname—and What It Means
At Trump’s own clubs, his reputation for bending the rules is reportedly so well known that staff have given him a special nickname: Pelé.
Yes, that Pelé—the Brazilian soccer legend known for his powerful kicks.
Why the comparison? Trump is said to frequently kick his golf ball back onto the fairway.
Assumes Everyone Is Cheating
At Winged Foot, one of his regular courses, longtime member Bryan Marsal confirmed the nickname and recalled Trump openly saying:
“You see those two guys? They cheat. See me? I cheat. And I expect you to cheat because we’re going to beat those two guys today.”
To Trump, it seems, cheating is just part of the game—and he assumes everyone else is doing it too.
The Golf Community Pushes Back
Others in the golf world have echoed similar observations.
Jack O’Donnell, a former Trump Plaza executive, recounted how a colleague returned from a round with Trump and, when asked if Trump had improved his lie, laughed:
“Every shot but the tee shot.”
Reilly went even further, claiming that Trump “cheats like a three-card Monte dealer”—kicking, throwing, or repositioning the ball at will, then lying about it.
Supporters Deny the Claims
Despite the mounting anecdotes, Trump’s campaign team has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed Reilly’s claims in People magazine, calling them “fantasizing” and accusing the author of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
