Donald Trump’s arrival at the Presidents Cup was already drawing attention. But it’s what happened at the first tee that’s now the talking point. Trump had been expected to address the crowd for around 15 minutes before the opening matches got underway. Instead, his remarks lasted 27 seconds. More importantly, he used that brief window to go after the press rather than addressing the tournament.

“The fake news media will say I got a very bad reception; we got a very good reception!” he said at the opening ceremony, before adding, “[PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp] said, ‘Will you make a short speech?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t have the courage to make a speech; these people want to see golf; they don’t want to hear speeches.”

He then went on to close the address by telling the crowd the country was “doing great, better than ever before,” and urging the players to “play their hearts out” before stepping aside.

And that’s where the story gets complicated. For context, Golfweek and multiple sources had reported that Trump had requested approximately 15 minutes to address the crowds at Medinah at the first tee before play started. The reports, however, did not confirm if PGA had approved it.

Now, with that background, Trump’s framing at the ceremony has sparked a reply from journalists. Senior Golfweek writer pushed back on it directly. He pointed out that Trump was the one who had asked for a window in the first place, so there was nothing for Rolapp to trim. He further pointed out that Trump was recasting his own scaled-down request as someone else’s idea, saying “that made no sense.”

Fox Sports’ David Rumsey also offered a similar read, reporting that organizers never planned more than a short greeting, which lines up with the original request being Trump’s own rather than something being asked of him.

With that, the moment itself played out fast. In under 30 seconds, Trump wrapped up his address, waving to the crowd as the DJ played “YMCA.” He then stepped aside so the opening matches could get underway.

That being said, while the opening ceremony and the speech became the talking point, it was not the only thing that happened at Trump’s arrival at Medinah. Outside the club, a very different reception was forming.

Protestors Gather At Trump’s Arrival

According to reports from ABC 7 Chicago, “Trump is expected to fly into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport before arriving at the event around 10:30 a.m. Sunday.” Noting that some protesting groups will be in action outside the course and could start well before he arrives.

For context, the opening gates were set to open at 8 a.m., with more than 150,000 visitors expected across the tournament. Upon POTUS’s arrival at the airport, a welcome was set to be held at 9 a.m. near Medinah Road and Lake Street, with organizers asking supporters to bring flags and signs with them.

However, a group of local protesters were also expected to counter that welcome at 10:15 am. A flyer for that gathering cited two grievances: the ongoing war and the rising cost of living.

Concerns over the war aren’t coming out of nowhere. Chicago has seen repeated anti-war demonstrations in recent weeks, with local groups organizing rallies in response to recent military action. That activity appears to have stayed active enough to resurface now, coinciding with Trump’s appearance.

For now, Sunday’s singles are turning out to be the biggest concern as America’s team gears up to defend their title.