Strategic Appointments 

What does the intersection of politics and sports look like? What are the implications of bringing professional athletes into executive matters? The Trump Administration recently announced that it plans to reinstate the fitness test for American children to help improve the health of the country. Along with this announcement, President Trump also introduced a panel of professional athletes to oversee the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

This past summer in July 2025, President Trump officially signed an executive order that plans to start the Presidential Fitness Test again in public schools. Previously, the test had been administered from 1956 to 2013, before coming to a close. 

Along with the executive order, Trump announced help from athletes such as Bryson DeChambeau, Harrison Butker, and Annika Sorenstam. The panel of athletes from both football and golf will work with the administration to improve the health of the youth in America. Right now, the specific roles of the athletes are unknown.

Professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau was recently named as a member of the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. This article examines the effects of bringing athletes into the world of politics – particularly Bryson DeChambeau. 

How did this appointment affect the way that citizens view the administration? How did golf fans react to this appointment? Looking at the demographics of golfers, will the majority support the alignment of DeChambeau with Trump? Based on research and surveys, this article will explore the ethics of involving athletes in a presidential administration.

Trump announced the appointment of Bryson DeChambeau to the sports council on July 31, 2025. In multiple interviews with news outlets, DeChambeau explains his reasoning for joining the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. DeChambeau says that he was inspired to join because he had a fitness test when he was in school. 

DeChambeau has become widely known in the golf community for his attention to health and fitness. Most notably, prior to 2020, DeChambeau used something called “Muscle Activation Technique” to add about 40 pounds of muscle in an attempt to maximize his potential distance, especially off the tee (Schmitt, 2024). 

Discussing the main reason for joining the council DeChambeau said, “‘I want to get kids excited about pushing themselves’” (Schupak, 2025). DeChambeau explained that he sees his new role as an opportunity to get involved in shaping the lives of the future of America. 

DeChambeau has been described as a player who brings energy to every competition he plays in. The Ryder Cup, hosted at Bethpage Black in New York, exemplified the effect that DeChambeau has on a team of professionals. Scottie Scheffler, the number one golfer in the world, called DeChambeau, “a great partner” before the tournament even began (Uggetti, 2025). 

About one year prior to DeChambeau’s appointment on the council, he and Trump recorded a video for DeChambeau’s YouTube channel in which they attempted to shoot under 50 for 18 holes as a team. In two days, DeChambeau and Trump’s “Break 50” video reached upwards of six million views. This event significantly catapulted DeChambeau into the spotlight in July 2024. 

Despite DeChambeau’s transfer from the PGA tour to LIV Golf in 2022, he has still kept a devoted fan base of primarily younger golfers. Perhaps DeChambeau’s new role on the presidential council was a strategic one to gain support for the administration from younger players. 

Ahead of the November 2024 election, Trump could have seen this video collaboration as an opportunity to garner some positive press, especially in the golf world. The video with DeChambeau was published only a few months before the 2024 presidential election. 

DeChambeau and Trump in their "Break 50" video - Image from YouTube

One article from Golf.com also mentions the fact that DeChambeau and Trump already had a pre-existing relationship before the video. The “Break 50” video could have potentially been a pseudo event aimed at gaining more voters for Trump while simultaneously propelling DeChambeau’s career forward, particularly his role as an influencer. 

Pseudo events – events that are staged for publication – play a major role in generating goodwill in support of President Trump. The reinstatement of the fitness test could also be considered a pseudo event, particularly the press conferences that followed. Considering the fact that the specific role of the council is still unclear, the announcement of the panel was likely an attempt to create impressions, rather than make an actual statement.

The media has presented DeChambeau’s appointment to the council as an exciting step for America and the connection of sports to politics. Most articles focus on framing the story as something incredibly positive for the future. Digging deeper, the framing of the announcement may be a strategic way to avoid potential controversies.

It is also important to point out the connotations that are associated with DeChambeau’s appointment to the council. In June 2022, DeChambeau announced that he had signed with the LIV Golf tour: a rival to the PGA Tour. Most notably, LIV Golf is fully funded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia (ESPN, 2022).

LIV Golf has seen its fair share of controversy over the years, particularly because of the source of the money. The purse sizes for LIV Golf are considerably more than those of the PGA Tour, but many have wondered how “clean” the money truly is. 

As of 2024, Saudi Arabia’s PIF has contributed around $2 billion to LIV Golf, which many people see as controversial (Singh et al., 2024). The fact that the money that funds the tour is directly tied to a government that has a history of conflict with America is a valid reason for concern.

Now, circling back to DeChambeau and his role in the current administration. Does Trump’s appointment of DeChambeau to the council have an underlying meaning? The selection of an athlete from LIV Golf holds more weight than a golfer from the PGA Tour because of the money sourcing.

DeChambeau is a professional athlete, much like the others on the council. With that experience, he might provide valuable insight. However, DeChambeau also represents a connection to a significant controversy with LIV Golf.

Some might wonder if DeChambeau’s appointment to the council is President Trump accepting LIV Golf at face value. Trump has also been clearly connected to LIV Golf in other ways, such as hosting events at his own golf courses (Hamel, 2024). 

What does Trump’s connection to LIV Golf mean in the context of the current administration? As the president of the United States, should Trump be supporting LIV Golf considering the controversy that so clearly surrounds the golf league?