Body camera footage released April 2 reveals that Tiger Woods claimed to have spoken with President Donald Trump moments after crashing his SUV on Jupiter Island, Florida—a detail that has ignited fierce debate about the 15-time major champion’s judgment during what would become his second DUI arrest.
The March 27 incident began just before 2 p.m. when Woods’ black Land Rover clipped the back of a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaning trailer on Beach Road. The 50-year-old golfer had crossed double yellow lines while allegedly looking at his phone and changing the radio station. His SUV rolled onto its side, though no one was injured.
Video footage from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office shows Woods wrapping up a phone conversation as Deputy Tatiana Levenar approached the crash scene. “Thank you so much. All right. You got it. Bye,” Woods said into his phone before turning to the officer: “Yeah, I was just talking to the President.”
The White House has not confirmed whether President Trump spoke with Woods immediately after the crash. However, Trump addressed reporters about his longtime friend hours after the wreck, when he landed in Miami aboard Air Force One for an investment summit. “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said of Woods. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person.”
The connection between Woods and the President extends beyond their shared love of golf. Woods is currently dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. and mother to five of the President’s grandchildren. Woods’ Jupiter Island home sits roughly 30 miles north of Mar-a-Lago, and the two have golfed together numerous times. President Trump awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019, celebrating the golfer’s comeback from debilitating physical injuries.
The bodycam footage captures the full arc of Woods’ arrest. Deputy Levenar conducted field sobriety tests that Woods struggled to complete, limping throughout due to his extensive surgical history—seven back surgeries and over 20 operations on his right leg. Woods wore a compression sock over his right knee and was sweating profusely while hiccupping during questioning.
Woods explained the crash simply: “I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden—boom.”
Woods passed a Breathalyzer test showing no alcohol in his system, but deputies found two white hydrocodone pills in his pocket during a search. He told officers he had taken “a few” medications earlier that day but refused to submit to a urine test. Deputy Levenar’s assessment was blunt in her report: she believed Woods’ normal faculties were impaired and placed him under arrest for DUI.
The arrest report details Woods’ apparent confusion. When informed he was being arrested, Woods protested that he was not drunk but on prescription medication.
Florida law changed in October 2025 to make refusing a breath, blood, or urine test a second-degree misdemeanor even on a first offense. Woods now faces charges of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He pleaded not guilty on April 1 and released a statement announcing he would step away from golf “for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.” Woods also withdrew from his captaincy of the U.S. Ryder Cup team for 2027.
The phone call to Trump has drawn sharp criticism. Broadcaster Megyn Kelly called it “a douche move” on her YouTube show Friday, suggesting Woods was attempting to leverage his presidential connection to avoid consequences.
This marks Woods’ second DUI arrest in less than a decade. In May 2017, police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car in Jupiter, Florida, and he later pleaded guilty to reckless driving. The golf icon has battled injuries that have kept him from competitive play since the 2024 British Open. He was attempting to return for the Masters when the crash occurred, continuing a pattern of physical struggles that began with a devastating 2021 Los Angeles car accident that nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg.
Video from the patrol car shows a handcuffed Woods hiccupping, yawning, and repeatedly nodding off during the 15-minute ride to Martin County Jail. He was later released and driven home in a private vehicle. The case now moves through the Florida court system as one of golf’s most recognizable figures confronts yet another personal crisis that has overshadowed his legendary athletic achievements.