Trump back on the golf course for day two of Scottish visit
The president arrived in Scotland on Friday evening, with Air Force One touching down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport before his entourage travelled to nearby Turnberry.He has said he "it's great to be in Scotland" and has praised Starmer and Swinney ahead of meeting them.A major security operation was ramped up at Turnberry before Trump played 18 holes on Saturday.He waved to photographers and the assembled media as his day passed without incident.Several roads remain closed in the area while police and military personnel have been carrying out checks around the resort.
A security checkpoint has been put in place outside the hotel and a large fence has been erected around the course.Elsewhere, several hundred demonstrators gathered in both Aberdeen and Edinburgh on Saturday to protest against the visit.Trump is expected to meet Starmer and Swinney on Monday before officially opening his new golf course at Menie in Aberdeenshire.The US president will travel back to Washington on Tuesday and is due to return to the UK for an official state visit in September.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Starmer's green taxes could destroy North Sea oil, Trump claims
Donald Trump lashed out at Keir Starmer over taxes on North Sea oil and gas today in his latest lecture to the Prime Minister about how he runs Britain. The day after pouring praise over Sir Keir as they met face-to-face in Scotland the president took to social media to complain about levies on fossil fuels, saying they are 'so high ... it makes no sense'. 'North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom,' he said. 'The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, ''we don't want you''. 'Incentivize the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people!' Mr Trump will cut the ribbon on a second 18-hole course at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire before he flies back to the US on Air Force One. The president has played several rounds of golf during his Scottish trip, teeing off at his other resort in Turnberry, Ayrshire, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. As they met at Turnberry for bilateral talks on trade and the situation in Gaza, Mr Trump and Sir Keir took part in what proved to be a lengthy press conference, with the president discussing a number of topics. The Republican Party leader spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive'. The PM stood up for green energy, saying: 'We believe in a mix, and obviously oil and gas will be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear (power),' he said. Trump also used the wide-ranging press conference to advise his 'not too liberal' friend to cut taxes and immigration if he wanted to beat Nigel Farage at the next election. Without any awkwardness about playing one mate off against the other the president used the hour-long televised bromantic encounter on the plane to tell the PM to cut taxes and stop 'murderers and drug dealers' from coming to Britain. While Sir Keir sat beside him, barely speaking and with an impassive look on his face, he was full of praise for the Prime Minister and the way he was running the country, despite their ideological differences, saying Sir Keir was was 'liberal ..but not too liberal' in his approach. Mr Trump added: 'I think the one that's toughest and most competent on immigration is going to win the election, but then you add… low taxes, and you add the economy. (Sir Keir) did a great thing with the economy, because a lot of money is going to come in because of the deal that was made. But I think that, I think that immigration is now bigger than ever before.'
The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
Has Trump just become the very model of a modern liberal leader?
Giving an all-important green light to Keir Starmer for the UK to recognise Palestine… rejecting Netanyahu's claim that there is no food crisis in Gaza by saying there is 'real starvation'…giving Russia a '10 to 12 days' ultimatum over Ukraine… Was this the week that Donald J Trump became the kind of leader that liberals dream of? One day we may know the full story of this remarkable transformation – and, while there are many caveats, doubts and, very likely, disappointments to follow, we should at least cherish such unexpected developments as this. 'We have to get the kids fed' is as simple and powerful an instruction as we could possibly hope to get from the leader of the free world. No moral equivocation there, no 'both sides' – and no room for delay, is not a coincidence that, grudgingly and still inadequately, Israel is allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, and, as a result, lives will be saved. Trump isn't asinine enough to pretend that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip, and, loyal as he may be, neither is he so beholden to his friend BiBi that he is going to be taken in by the most audacious and shameful attempt at gaslighting to that effect in the history of the State of Israel. We can maybe see what is happening here, both with Israel and with Russia, where Trump's patience with Vladimir Putin, another strong man he wished to build a partnership with, has also been exhausted. First, there is that decision where Trump decides he wants to build that rapport with a counterpart. Usually, this is a strong guy – Putin, Netanyahu, even Kim Jong-un in the first term. Let's not forget that he has even tried to get on terms with the ayatollahs in (oil-rich) Iran, much to Israeli alarm. Starmer, unusually, is someone Trump should despise, but instead declares that he just can't stop praising and liking the guy. It surpasses human understanding. Second, there's usually some sort of distant private deal on the side, maybe real estate or raw materials, maybe with US interests as well as family ones mixed in. Hence his partial rapprochement with Zelensky, built on rare earths. Notice also how Trump used to fantasise about building a golf course on the North Korean coast, or the bizarre plan to turn Gaza into a beach resort. When he basically told the world he had given up on Putin's sincerity, Trump could surely have wept about how Russia could be such a rich country… if only Putin had allowed Trump to get involved in the economy, he didn't quite add. Netanyahu, who was taken by surprise by the US-administered Gaza resort idea, may not be proving as useful in this enterprise as Trump first assumed he would – but that is certainly a more confusing picture. You may recall that in that unusually candid interview Trump recently gave to the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue, the president admitted that he trusts 'almost nobody', but that he wasn't yet 'done' with Putin. Well, now he is because, as Trump himself says, they are these nice, long, respectful conversations in which Trump listens sympathetically to Putin's case and Russia's wartime sacrifices – and then the Russians bomb a nursing home in Kyiv or something. The truth is that Trump has at times seemed too inclined to trust people he shouldn't, and all too ready to make enemies of natural allies – Justin Trudeau in Canada, Ishiba Shigeru in Japan – but when he finally works out that he's been played along, he will act accordingly. Hence the abandonment of Putin and the distancing of Netanyahu, whose policies, which Trump indulged, have destroyed Trump's plan for a lucrative new economic zone in the Middle East from the Gulf to the Mediterranean, based on his Abraham Accords programme. There is now no chance of Saudi Arabia normalising relations with Israel, greatly to Trump's annoyance. Last, Trump may not be the one-dimensional monster he is satirised as, though he's no one's idea of a hero. Prompted by First Lady Melania Trump, he seems to have been, at last, genuinely moved by the savagery that Putin has inflicted on Ukrainian civilians; and the same compassion about the starving children in Gaza seems to be impelling him to act with an unusual moral intensity. He can be driven by the humanitarian impulse in the same way anyone can. Of course, we need not get carried away. The United States is boycotting the UN two-state solution conference on the future of Palestine. The plan for a Gaza beach resort is still, apparently, Trump administration policy, with the prospect that the Palestinians will be driven from their homes; reports suggest the Americans have been looking for places where refugees could be resettled, which would be near enough to a forced displacement as to be a crime against humanity. Trump is not going to switch sides again and have America support the restoration of full Ukrainian sovereignty – and the Trump White House will continue to deny climate change, and launch trade wars as it fancies. Yet these last few days have seen some extremely welcome signs that Trump is capable of doing some good every now and again. Trump says he's stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Rwanda and the DRC, and Cambodia and Thailand. Exaggerated or not, the United States is playing the right sort of role. If it is now pursuing ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza, in each case a peace that passeth all understanding, we should just take the wins – even if it means Trump takes the Nobel Peace Prize.
Scotsman
11 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Donald Trump in Scotland: Why US president's new course is billed as forming ‘The Greatest 36 Holes of Golf'
Sign up to our Golf newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Today's opening of a second golf course at US President Donald Trump's venue north of Aberdeen has been hailed as being destined to play a 'very important part in the future of golf in Scotland'. Opened in 2012, the original course at Trump International Golf Links at Menie Estate is gearing up to stage an exciting double-header this summer. For the third year in a row and second in succession with Colin Montgomerie as its host, the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship will take place this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad US President Donald Trump attends the opening of the Trump International Golf Links, the president's new golf course on the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire | PA Next week it will stage its first DP World Tour event in the shape of The Scottish Championship, which will boast a prize fund of $2.75 million [£2.06m]. In addition, this week also marks the opening of a second course, which is being billed as providing a test that will be equal to its neighbour. 'This is a very significant, very special year for us,' said Sarah Malone, executive vice-president of Trump International, as she spoke at a media conference alongside Montgomerie. 'It is a great honour for us to have Colin with us again. He has a great history with this site, having been here on the opening day in 2012 with the Trump family to open our magnificent links. So it is very fitting that he is the host of the Legends Tour event here for the second year. 'It is a milestone year for this asset in the north-east of Scotland. It has been a labour of love for the Trump family. It is held in the highest regard by the family and the organisation. We are immensely proud to be hosting the Legends Tour for the third year. It is a special event that has many components to it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is very firmly established in the north-east as a must for spectators, for celebrity spotters. It is very much in people's diaries and it has attracted great sponsors. 'To add to that, we have the DP World Tour event. This is why this site was built. We said at the very outset that we wanted to host tournaments and so this year we are doing back-to-back tournaments and we will also be announcing very soon the opening date of our new championship links course.' The double offering is being billed as 'The Greatest 36 Holes of Golf' and Ms Malone explained why she felt that was the case. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lisa Ferguson 'It is not the second golf course,' she said. 'It is equal in stature to the existing course, which I can confirm will be known as the Old Course and the New Course, something of a nod to tradition and to make it easy for our golfers to book. 'It is the beginning of a new era for us, having 36 holes is a big thing. It will ensure that golfers will not be too ready to leave the area, which is good news and gives us limitless options and possibilities for tournament and professional play.' Mr Trump, of course, also owns Turnberry, with Mark Darbon, The R&A's new chief executive, having admitted recently that he would like to see The Open return there, though acknowledging that some issues need to be overcome. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In the meantime, though, the golf-mad US President will clearly be delighted to see his other Scottish venue playing host to back-to-back events that should be appealing to fans in the Aberdeen area in particular, but further afield as well. Lisa Ferguson 'The nucleus for this entire site was the Trump family's connection with the ancestral home of Mary Anne McLeod, the president's mother, and the great game of golf,' said Ms Malone. 'It was a visionary project, always a multi-phase project. 'The Trump family has been steadfast in their commitment, irrespective of the backdrop with the economy or the markets. None of that has had an impact on our vision to create a world-glass golf destination that hosts the biggest and best tournaments in the world. 'This year is a milestone for us. It's the completion of two magnificent golf courses. Maybe not quite tomorrow, but I think we could possibly put a tournament out there as it is ready for play. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We have gone to great lengths to ensure that it complements the existing links. That was the benchmark - what a benchmark. Yeah, this is a big year for us and the family are very proud of what we have accomplished and I think it plays a very important part in the future of golf in Scotland.' Montgomerie will be part of a star-studded field for the 2025 Staysure PGA Championship, won by Englishman Robert Coles in a dramatic finish. 'I'm very honoured obviously to be associated with this event again,' said Montgomerie. 'Any event you are associated with that is first-class, five-star is special and this is - the venue and everything about it. 'It was very easy to put my name to this again for a second year out of the three that have been here. I think it is superb, I really do. I might be a bit biased, but I thought it was a great success last year and let's hope this year we can build on that success and make it even better. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
