Ron Johnson Shrugs Off 9/11 Families’ Outrage Over LIV-PGA Partnership: ‘I Have the Deepest Level of Sympathy’ For Them, ‘But…’

Senator Ron Johnson [R-WI] was not persuaded that the anger of families who lost their loved ones on 9/11 was enough of an argument to make against the PGA Tour’s partnership with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.

Johnson spoke with CNBC’s Joe Kernen on Tuesday about the merger of the PGA Tour’s and LIV’s commercial assets for a new venture. The interview took place ahead of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s hearing on the LIV deal, which has focused on the sports implications along with Saudi Arabia’s growing influence.

Much of the arrangement’s controversy pertains to LIV’s financial backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which prompted concerns about “sportswashing” Saudi Arabia’s negative record on human rights. The deal was also condemned by 9/11 families who called PGA officials “paid Saudi shills” to distract from the nation’s complicity in the terror attacks.

Kernan brought up the 9/11 family outrage to Johnson while conceding that the U.S. does business with countries with known human rights problems. Asked if he had objections to Saudi money holding influence over the PGA, Johnson admitted that the sportswashing concerns and economic realities of the world mean that the deal shouldn’t be rendered out of the question.

Well listen, I have the deepest sympathy for 9/11 families, I understand the issue of sportswashing. There’s not enough billions of dollars for the Saudis to wash away the stain of the brutal Khashoggi murder. But the reality is we all buy oil, we drive cars, we are the ones that are filling up the coffers of the Public Investment Fund. I would rather have the Saudis invest their oil wealth in the U.S. as opposed to China or Russia. That’s just a reality of the world. And again, I’m a lover of the game of golf. I love watching golf. I want to see the best golfers in the world compete against each other and not be split into different leagues and pretty well destroy the competition at the highest level.

Johnson went on by referring to the PGA’s incentive to make the deal with LIV, rather than square off against their financial resources.

Watch above via CNBC.