Trump Golf Course's Saudi Tournament Likely As NYC Says Hands Are Tied

NEW YORK CITY — An impassioned push by 9/11 families to end former President Donald Trump's contract to run a public Bronx golf course — on which he plans to host a controversial Saudi-backed tournament — has hit an unlikely rough: Mayor Eric Adams' administration.

City parks officials pointedly didn't attend a City Council hearing Thursday that laid out ways to sever ties with the former president's company, which runs Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point on public land.

Instead, Adams officials issued written testimony that effectively argued their hands are tied by the city's contract with Trump — and terminating it would be costly.

"While I share the Speaker’s and the Chair’s anger at the decision by Trump Ferry to host the Aramco tournament, it would be irresponsible for the City not to abide by this contract in this circumstance," Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in her written testimony.

But Council Member Shekar Krishnan, who chaired the nearly three-hour committee hearing, argued that Trump's numerous legal problems and willingness to host a tournament by the controversial Aramco Team Series were more than ample reasons to sever the contract.

"Our public parkland should not be in the hands of Donald Trump or his criminal enterprise," he said.

"In addition to the long history of the Trump Organization's fraudulent operations, the recently announced plans for the Saudi-backed golf tour at Ferry Point Park are an affront to the values of New York City. Scheduled for October 13th through 15th, just weeks after the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, this event does harm to the families of 9/11 victims."

Mayoral spokesperson Max Young said Adams administration officials share the desire to cancel the tournament and the overall agreement with Trump.

But Young argued that actually ending the contract would require the city to pay up "tens of millions of dollars to the Trump Organization, an outcome no one wants."

"If the Chairman (Krishnan) would in fact prefer to continue down the route he has advocated and pay the Trump Administration, he should publicly share the amount he'd like the city to turn over," Young said in a statement.

"Because of ongoing litigation risk, the administration has been advised against appearing at this hastily called hearing and will instead be submitting written testimony."

This isn't the first time city officials have tried to cancel Trump's contract to run the golf course.

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio announced after the Jan. 6 insurrection that the city would cut ties with Trump's company over the golf course and other public properties. But a judge in April ruled the city couldn't terminate the contract.

The golf course controversy began anew in August when Trump's company got the go-ahead from the city to host the Aramco tournament.

The approval angered 9/11 families, many of whom appeared during the hours-long hearing to argue that the Saudi government had ties to the terrorist hijackers.

"The cruelty and the callousness of these golfers and a former president is shocking and beyond painful," one testified.

But several employees of Trump Ferry Point also testified that the golf course existed outside the former president's politics.

Trump Organization executive vice president Ron Lieberman highlighted what he called the golf course's "tremendous" accolades. He said a similar Aramco tournament took place in New York state last year without controversy.

"What's the difference? Trump," he said.

Donoghue said in her testimony that Adams has strong objections to the tournament, but terminating Trump's license would cost the city $30 million.

"Given the City’s budget situation, termination at will — as you are suggesting — would be irresponsible at this time," she said.

Krishnan argued from other testimony — which disputed the $30 million figure — that Donoghue has the power to terminate the contract, and should do so before the tournament.