Nicko McBrain Says He Declined Trump Golf Invitation

Former Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain says he declined a friend’s invitation to play golf with President Donald Trump, and criticized Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an interview published this week. McBrain’s account of the invitation and his remarks has been reported through that interview; the sources do not independently confirm the proposed outing or establish whether Trump knew about it. McBrain said a friend who is a strong Republican asked whether he wanted to join a golf outing with Trump. He said he refused. The invitation, as McBrain described it, came from his friend rather than directly from the president. In the interview, McBrain said he objected to what he characterized as Trump’s narcissism and his handling of the war with Iran. He also criticized Hegseth, saying he believed the defense secretary would be imprisoned. McBrain said Trump and his associates should be jailed. Those statements reflect McBrain’s views; the interview account does not establish that either Trump or Hegseth faces a related criminal case. The remarks drew both criticism and support in online comments described in one report. Some commenters questioned whether the...