From the archives: Rick Reilly on 'how golf explains Trump' (2015)

"If you’ll cheat to win at golf, is it that much further to cheat to win an election? To turn a Congressional vote? To stop an investigation? If you’ll lie about every aspect of the game, is it that much further to lie about your taxes, your relationship with Russians, your groping of women?" 

-- Rick Reilly, Commander in Cheat : How Golf Explains Trump (2019)

Eight years ago today, Donald Trump was in his first term as president when award-winning sportswriter Rick Reilly visited the NYS Writers Institute to discuss his newly released book, Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump (2019).

Before a packed audience at Page Hall on UAlbany’s downtown campus, Reilly detailed Trump’s infamous golf habits—how he cheats (dubbed the "Trump Bump"), fabricates his scores (sometimes with the help of caddies and even Secret Service agents), and disregards the sport’s etiquette.

Fast forward five years, and Trump is four weeks into his second term as president. On this anniversary, we’re revisiting Reilly’s unforgettable event from February 19, 2020.

Our video of that evening has since amassed over 1.4 million views—making it by far our most-watched video to date.

You can watch the video below and now, thanks to NYS Writers Institute intern Kayla Fennell, you can listen to the conversation as a podcast.