Former CNN host and comedian D.L. Hughley was triggered by Tiger Woods accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump. On his TV One talk show, Hughley was outraged that the 2019 Masters Tournament winner would take the time “to normalize a monster.”
HUGHLEY: I hate that they normalize a man [Donald Trump] who is so abnormal...His approach to the way he speaks, the things that he believes. That there were 500 prosecutors who said if he weren’t president he should be indicted – 500! You can’t get 500 prosecutors...to agree on anything....Tiger Woods took a moment and forgot the significance of it and took time to normalize a monster.
The following transcript is of the relevant portion of Hughley’s rant from the May 7 edition of TV One’s The D.L. Hughley Show:
CO-HOST D.L. HUGHLEY: Jasmine, tell these good people what’s trending?
CO-HOST JASMINE SANDERS: So people are really pissed off at Tiger Woods. Because of course he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from [Donald] Trump.
HUGHLEY: Now he’s just an Asian balding guy to me.
SANDERS: And so a lot of people who were his fans took to Twitter and was basically like ‘I’ve lost all respect.’ You know and you know to what you were saying that he never really was with us. But I don’t think it’s about race. People just really wanted him to not even go and accept the award.
HUGHLEY: Well here’s the thing. It’s never not about – the only – Tiger Woods maybe the only black person who’s ever dealt with Trump who it didn’t ruin his career. Because there’s no way black people can ruin Tiger Woods’ career.
SANDERS: Right. Well he did a lot of business with Trump too.
COMEDIAN JAY PHILLIPS: Well that’s the thing. Like it was a thing for Trump before it even became a presidency or a political thing. It was like, I’m sure a bucket list to be able to play a round of golf with Tiger.
...HUGHLEY: But Tiger is – I think the danger of what he does is – and you know obviously you don’t have to take a side if you don’t believe in one. But I hate that they normalize a man who is so abnormal. The things – his approach to the way he governs. His approach to the way he speaks, the things that he believes. That there were 500 prosecutors who said if he weren’t president he should be indicted – 500! You can’t get 500 prosecutors to believe – to agree on anything. But his – Tiger Woods took a moment and forgot the significance of it and took time to normalize a monster.
SANDERS: Yeah, because that’s what it looked like. When he was standing there and he’s smiling.
HUGHLEY: Smiling and crying.
