Trump looks ahead to post-coronavirus sports: "We want big, big stadiums full of people."

During a telephone appearance during a televised charity wave show on Sunday, President Trump enthusiastically supported the return of live sports events during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We want to get sports back, we miss sports," said Trump. & # 39; We need sports from the psyche of our country. And that is what we do.

On Sunday, about halfway through a skins game with four of the PGA Tour's best golfers – Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff – Trump praised NBC for hosting the event and called out then move on to a stronger resumption of activities in all sports.

"We want to bring it back to where it was, we want big, big stadiums full of people," Trump said. "We don't want 15,000 people to consider Alabama-LSU as an example."

Trump later added, "We want to get back to normal where the big crowds are, and they are practically on top of each other and enjoying themselves, not what they are concerned about. & # 39;

& # 39; I'd like to get all the sports back, & # 39; said Fauci. "But as a health officer and as a doctor and scientist, I must now say that if you look at the country, we're still there not ready. "

The PGA Tour plans to become one of the first major American sports to return to the league with the Charles Schwab Classic in Fort Worth on June 11. A long, almost weekly schedule of men's golf tournaments will follow, including the PGA Championship in San Francisco in early August, the United States Open mid-September outside of New York City and the Masters in November in Augusta, Georgia.

"If you have the Masters, we want to have a large crowd, 'Trump said NBC. "And now, right now, that's not what they're up to, but you never know what's happening. It can happen very quickly."

Trump added, "We're getting it back and it's will go fast. "

It was not a complete surprise that the president, who is an avid golfer, golf fan and golf course owner, would be featured on the NBC broadcast of the first live golf event in over three months. Golf leaders have been in contact with Trump since mid-March, and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan consulted with Trump before ending the season of the tour on March 13 and canceling a well-known event, the Players Championship.

At one point, Trump was asked about his golf outings with professional players, a group including McIlroy, who played with Trump in 2017. In a recent interview with the McKellar Golf Podcast, McIlroy said he accepted the invitation to play out with Trump respecting the office of the President, but probably wouldn't do it again.

"I'll sit here and say I enjoyed the day I had with him, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything, or really everything he says," said McIlroy, who also criticized Trump for "trying to politicize the response to the pandemic."

McIlroy added, "It's just not the way a leader should act, and you need a little diplomacy and I just don't think he showed that, especially in these times. "

But Trump said he enjoyed his time in the presence of PGA Tour professionals.

" Some like my politics very much and probably not, "said the President. "I don't think those who I don't see get to see that much."