Langer: Trump cleared air over voter fraud story

Hall of Fame golfer Bernhard Langer said Thursday that President Trump apologized to him about involving him in a story about alleged voter fraud.

“We talked on the phone, and he was very clear … if there was anything that hurt me, he apologized,” he said during a news conference at the Allianz Championship. “And I apologized, too, for some of the quotes that were incorrect, and we’re on good terms.

“It was fun talking to him briefly, and I thought that’s a great gesture from him, because he’s got a lot of other things to be concerned about, not just, you know, this golfer Bernhard Langer. He’s got far more important things to do. But for him to take the time, talk to me for a brief while and clear things up, is pretty amazing.”

Langer is a German citizen who has lived in Boca Raton for more than 30 years. He won the Masters twice, and Langer, 59, has been the dominant player on the PGA Tour Champions, winning 30 career titles to rank second on the all-time list.

A story in The New York Times last month said Trump was told a story by Langer, who was reportedly standing in line at a polling place on Election Day. Trump said Langer was told he couldn’t vote but others who looked like they should not be able to vote were allowed to cast provisional ballots.

“I didn’t say anything to the president,” Langer said Thursday. “We never talked. I told a story to a friend, and the friend told a story to another friend and another friend and another friend. Somewhere down the line six people later, somebody knew somebody at the White House, and that’s how it went, OK?

“It’s kind of weird, because you’re being talked about without being talked to. Then you read the story, and it’s not like it’s a fact, it’s like, oh, I heard this from so-andso and I have a source that told me this and I have a friend that told me that.”

Langer said the misrepresentation also included his daughter, Christina, who was quoted in the story as saying her father is “not a friend of Mr. Trump.”

“I know what my daughter said, and it’s not what was quoted,” he said. “My daughter said he’s probably not a close friend of Mr. Trump. What was the quote? He’s not a friend of Mr. Trump.

“Now, what does that say? Not a close friend means he could be a friend or they had some kind of relationship. Not a friend means he doesn’t like him at all. I was very disappointed with the article, the way it was written and what happened. It’s not the first time and it may not be the last time, because it’s out of my control.”