It was reported Sunday that President Donald Trump’s golf club awarded him the championship for a competition he didn’t even play in. It prompted Trump biographer David Cay Johnston to call him “pathetic” during an interview with MSNBC host Chris Matthews.

“This is pathetic and it tells you a lot about what an empty vessel Donald is,” Johnston said. “Nineteen of his properties he has plaques up of awards he gave himself from a phony hospitality system run by his pal who emcees at Mar-a-Largo every year.”

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He added, “Who gives an award to themselves. It is bad enough when we give children awards for showing up but giving an award to yourself, the only word to describe it is pathetic.”

They then talked about Trump boasting about himself playing golf to appeal to voters.

“He’s trying to establish that he’s been accepted and he knows he’s not by a large segment of the population,” Johnston said. “It is the same reason he’s desperate for the approval of the New York Times. And Donald, by the way, is a notorious cheat. I’ve interviewed people who played golf with him.”

Watch below via MSNBC: