Tiger Woods told police ‘I was just talking with the president’ immediately after crash

Newly-released bodycam footage appears to show Tiger Woods on the phone just moments after his car crash in Florida, before casually telling officers: ‘I was just talking with the president.’

Donald Trump is a long-time friend and ally of the golfer and it didn’t take long for the Commander-in-Chief to publicly back Woods after his recent DUI arrest.

The footage captures Woods wandering away from officers while still mid-call, with one cop trying to beckon him back.

‘We’ll get you to hang down here with us, please,’ the officer says, as Woods lingers nearby. Seconds later, the golfer wraps things up with a polite sign-off before returning to inform the cops of his chit-chat with POTUS.

The crash itself had occurred just a few minutes earlier on a residential road in Jupiter Island, where Woods had been attempting to overtake another vehicle at speed.

According to his own account, distraction played a role. ‘I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden… boom!’ he told officers at the scene, describing the moment his Land Rover clipped a pressure washer trailer and rolled onto its side.

Police found him kneeling on the grass verge as they arrived. Investigators later said he had been travelling at ‘high speeds’ in a 30mph zone, though the exact figure wasn’t confirmed.

Officers noted that Woods’ eyes were ‘bloodshot and glassy’ and his pupils ‘extremely dilated’, while a search uncovered two white pills marked ‘M367’ in his pocket.

The pills were identified as hydrocodone, an opioid used to treat severe pain. When asked about medication, Woods replied: ‘I take a few.’

A breathalyser test showed no alcohol in his system but Woods refused to provide a urine sample. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, alongside property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.

During a field sobriety test, officers said he was ‘limping and stumbling’ and was ultimately deemed unfit to drive. Sheriff John Budensiek later said that Woods had shown ‘signs of impairment’ at the scene, adding that investigators believe some form of medication or drug had been involved.

He also described Woods as ‘cooperative, but was not trying to incriminate himself.’

Further footage shows Woods in the back of a police car. He yawns repeatedly, hiccups and at one point appears to fall asleep, all while remaining silent.

In another moment caught on camera, Woods appears to reach for something in his pocket. ‘No, nothing in your mouth, please,’ an officer tells him.

Woods then produces a tube of chapstick and asks: ‘Am I allowed a lick of this?’ The reply is blunt: ‘Right now, no. It’s humid outside, you don’t need lip balm.’

Trump, for his part, has been firmly supportive of the 50-year-old. Speaking after the arrest, he said: ‘I think he’s doing great, he’s doing good. He tested negative for alcohol, as you know, and he is under a tremendous physical pressure from his various ailments… the back and the leg.’

He continued: ‘He lives a life of pain. He has a lot of pain. He’s an amazing guy. He’s an amazing athlete. He does have pain. He doesn’t have an alcohol problem, but he does have pain.’

Trump also described Woods as ‘a very close friend of mine,’ saying: ‘He’s an amazing person, an amazing man. But some difficulty. I don’t want to talk about it.’

Their relationship stretches back years and includes Woods receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Trump’s first term.

The incident isn’t the first time that Woods has been involved in a serious crash. In 2021, he suffered major leg injuries in a high-speed accident in Los Angeles, with doctors said to have, at one stage, considered amputation.

Across his career, Woods has also dealt with repeated knee and back issues, often requiring strong pain medication.

It’s also not his first DUI-related arrest. Back in 2017, Woods was found asleep at the wheel with the engine still running, later admitting he had taken a bad mix of prescribed drugs. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving in that case.

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