News ‘Peaceful protest’: Trump defends audience at his golf club who did not adhere to COVID-19 restrictions August 7, 2020 Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY Comments Off on ‘Peaceful protest’: Trump defends audience at his golf club who did not adhere to COVID-19 restrictions The president's official news conferences are White House events paid for by taxpayers. They are not the same thing as his political rallies.