Trump lands in Scotland to inaugurate his new golf course and as the Jeffrey Epstein saga follows him from Washington
Trump, 79, has made golf an important part of his life and his business empire – visiting courses more than 60 times in his second term. He is doing so again six months into his second term, with planned visits to both of his Scottish courses.
The president spoke reverentially about his Turnberry course as he left the White House – but still got hit with questions about whether he would pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, who met with top DOJ officials this week amid new scrutiny of the convicted sex offender who died in his jail cell.
And he issued a new iteration of his denial of a sensational report in the Wall Street Journal that he drew a picture of a woman for Epstein as part of a special birthday volume. 'Somebody could have written a letter and used my name,' Trump posited. He said he has the 'power' to pardon Maxwell, who is serving jail time after being convicted of assisting Epstein in his sex trafficking network.
Here in Scotland, Trump is set to inaugurate a new course in Aberdeenshire, on a trip where squeezing his hosts to bring the British Open to his Turnberry Course is also on tap.
The new MacLeod course in Menie is named for his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born in Scotland and emigrated to the U.S.
Trump is already predicting victory on that front. 'I think they will do that,' he said of bringing the Open to his Turnberry course. 'Turnberry is rated the number one course in the world. I think they'll do that.'
But he pushed back when asked if he was going to convince anyone of his stance on the trip. 'No, it's not about that,' Trump said.
'It's the best resort in the world, I think, Turnberry, and it's one of the greatest courses in the world.'
A potential championship isn't the only dealmaking on the horizon. Trump and British PM Keir Starmer, who inked a trade deal at the G7 in Canada shortly before Starmer dropped it on camera, still must negotiate substantial details.
That puts prices for cars, auto parts, chicken, beef, and digital clicks in play, after a U.S.-UK trade deal in May set only broad parameters but left many details to be worked out.
Trump set off confusion before he even left the White House when he told reporters that 'We're meeting with the prime minister tonight' and that 'We're going to be talking about the trade deal that we made and maybe even improve it.'
There was no expectation that Trump would even see Starmer until later in his visit.
Trump has been flouting his ability to bring other nations to heel by publicly releasing trade letters announcing what tariffs they will face. The White House said the number had reached 25 before he left Washington.
Trump blasted out yet another threat Friday when he said there was a 'fifty-fifty' chance of a deal with the European Union, while saying the powerful trade block must 'buy down' the threatened 30 percent tariff.
But the lure of his upcoming State Visit and meeting with King Charles is preventing Trump from playing full hardball, one insider tells the Daily Mail.
Trump's language as he left town was very much in keeping with that stance.
Trump called it 'more fine-tuning.'
'And also we do a little celebrating together, because, you know, we got along very well. UK has been trying to make a deal with us for like 12 years, and haven't been able to do it. We got it done.'
He called Starmer a 'good prime minister' and a 'good guy' who was 'doing a very good job.
'So we're going to see. We're going to meet at Turnberry and we're going to meet at Aberdeen. So two beautiful places.' But he said there was 'not a lot' of wiggle room on steel and aluminum tariffs he has imposed using Section 232 authority.
The absence of detailed information on the weekend schedule released by the White House makes clear that there is plenty of golf in Trump's future. He has no public events Saturday or Sunday, when he will be at Turnberry.
His Starmer meeting comes Monday, after which the pair are expected to tour Trump's new course.
Trump is also expected to meeting First Minister John Swinney, who is scoring the face time despite publicly backing Trump's rival Kamala Harris in the election.
Also greeting Trump: protests. During his 2018 visit to Scotland during his first term, Trump was trailed by a Trump baby balloon.
This time, the Stop Trump Coalition is among groups planning to make a public statement, with protests expected at both of Trump's courses.
Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton is among those positing that Trump's trip is more than a weekend getaway.
He noted that Trump hadn't been there in seven years, and said maybe it would 'kick up a little free advertising after he comes and goes.'
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