Trump leaves for golfing trip in Scotland
His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip.
Trump plans to visit his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, where he will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east.
As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America.
The White House has described the trip as "private".
Trump's visit to Scotland is in the "public interest", UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted, pointing out a recent trade deal.
"That has a tangible benefit for people here in Scotland, whether it is people working in the Scotch whisky industry or people working in the defence sector, like here at Rolls-Royce, that trade deal means lower tariffs than any country in the world on things that we send to the US," she said.
While in the UK, he will also meet Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election.
"The Scottish leader is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him," Trump said.
Swinney flagged in an interview with PA that he intended to raise the "the awfulness of the situation in Gaza and the unbearable human suffering" with Trump.
"I intend to take that opportunity to make sure that Scotland's voice is heard," he said.
The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests.
There is a massive police presence ahead of Trump's visit.
Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome.
About 70% of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18% have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found.
His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend.
The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties.
The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office.
Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison.
The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said.
Trump will return to Britain from September 17-19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles.
It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain.
The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019.
with PA and Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
25 minutes ago
- Perth Now
'Crisis of trust': Epstein furore to hurt Republicans
The uproar over disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is undermining public trust in the Trump administration, as well as Republican hopes of retaining control of Congress in the 2026 mid-term elections, two congressmen say. Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who want the House of Representatives to vote on their bipartisan resolution requiring full release of the government's Epstein files, said the lack of transparency is reinforcing public perceptions that the rich and powerful live beyond the reach of the judicial system. "This is going to hurt Republicans in the mid-terms. The voters will be apathetic if we don't hold the rich and powerful accountable," Massie, a hardline conservative from Kentucky, told NBC's Meet the Press program. Republicans hope to add to their current 219-212 House majority - with four seats currently vacant - and 53-47 Senate majority in November 2026, although the US political cycle traditionally punishes the party of the sitting president during midterm elections. The Washington Post reported that Trump was increasingly frustrated with his administration's handling of the furore around Epstein. Even so, the president was hesitant to make personnel changes to avoid creating a "bigger spectacle" as his top officials underestimated the outrage from Trump's own base over the issue, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. Khanna said Attorney General Pam Bondi triggered "a crisis of trust" by saying there was no list of Epstein clients after previously implying that one existed. The change in position unleashed a tsunami of calls for her resignation from Trump's MAGA base. "This is about trust in government," the California Democrat told Meet the Press. "This is about being a reform agent of transparency." President Donald Trump has been frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and 2019 death by suicide in prison. Massie and Khanna believe they can win enough support from fellow lawmakers to force a vote on their resolution when Congress returns from its summer recess in September. But they face opposition from Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent lawmakers home a day early to stymie Democratic efforts to force a vote before the break. Johnson, who also appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, said he favours a non-binding alternative resolution that calls for release of "credible" evidence, but which he said would better protect victims including minors. "The Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented," Johnson said. "It does not adequately include those protections." Massie dismissed Johnson's claim as "a straw man" excuse. "Ro and I carefully crafted this legislation so that the victims' names will be redacted," he said. "They're hiding behind that." Trump has tried and failed so far to distract attention from the Epstein controversy six months into his second term. On Saturday, Trump repeated his claims without evidence that 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and other Democrats should be prosecuted over payment for endorsements from celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Last week he accused former president Barack Obama of "treason" over how his administration treated intelligence about Russian interference in US elections nine years ago, drawing a rebuke from an Obama spokesperson. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
News.com.au
25 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Thailand and Cambodia truce talks due but strikes continue
Thailand and Cambodia's leaders are due to meet for peace talks on Monday, as a festering territorial dispute along their shared frontier dragged into a fifth day of open combat. At least 35 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced since Thursday as the countries fight over a smattering of contested ancient temples. In an effort initiated by US President Donald Trump, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet will meet at 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) in Kuala Lumpur. China is also expected to send a delegation. Ahead of the talks, Thailand and Cambodia traded fresh fire and accusations. "This is the fifth day that Thailand has invaded Cambodia's territory with heavy weapons and with the deployment of a lot of troops to grab Cambodia's land," said defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata. The previous night, Thailand's military said Cambodian snipers were camping in one of the contested temples, and accused Phnom Penh of surging troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets. It said fighting was ongoing at seven areas along the rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. "The situation remains highly tense, and it is anticipated that Cambodia may be preparing for a major military operation prior to entering negotiations," the Thai military statement read. On Saturday, Trump said he made a late-night call to both leaders, who had agreed to "quickly work out" a truce. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the summit -- which will be mediated by Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim -- was also organised "with the participation of China" -- a key trade and political ally. "The purpose of this meeting is to achieve an immediate ceasefire, which was initiated by President Donald Trump and agreed to by both prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand," Hun Manet said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that US officials "are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts", while Anwar told domestic media he would focus on securing an "immediate ceasefire". - Both sides point the finger - Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said his public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace have been cancelled amid the strife. Both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed in principle to a truce -- but accused each other of undermining armistice efforts and of firing first. Trump has threatened both countries with eye-watering levies in his global tariff blitz unless they agree to independent trade deals. "When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!" he wrote on social media. But each side has also blamed the other for undermining peace efforts. The Thai foreign ministry accused Cambodian forces of firing shells into civilian homes in Surin province. "Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith," the ministry said. Meanwhile, Cambodia's defence ministry accused Thailand of "deliberate and coordinated acts of aggression". Thailand says eight of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths. The Thai military said it had returned the bodies of 12 Cambodian soldiers killed in combat. The conflict has forced more than 138,000 people from Thailand's border regions, and 80,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia. The Cambodian government has also accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Bangkok has accused Phnom Penh of targeting hospitals. With the conflict enflaming nationalist sentiments, Thailand issued a warning to its citizens to "refrain from any kind of violence, whether in speech or action" against Cambodian migrants living in the country.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's latest clumsy deal has unintended consequences
The threat of a full-scale trans-Atlantic trade war has been averted with the deal, or at least the outline of one, struck between the US and the European Union at the weekend. As was the case with last week's deal with Japan, however, both sides have differing interpretations of what they've agreed to. There's no disagreement on the baseline tariff of 15 per cent on all EU exports to the US imposed by the deal, which the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said was 'the best we could get.' Before Trump regained office, the average tariff on EU exports was 2.5 per cent. Exactly what the new rate will apply to, however, isn't clear. Von der Leyen said it would apply to European cars, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, while Donald Trump said pharmaceuticals were 'unrelated to this deal.' The US has separate investigations of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors underway that could lead to sectoral tariffs on imports of those products – and another bout of confrontation and negotiation. The new baseline tariff was, Trump said, in exchange for the EU 'opening up their countries at zero tariff,' whereas the EU says the agreement for 'zero for zero' tariffs relates to certain strategic products and their parts, like chemicals, semiconductor equipment and some agricultural products, and is a framework agreement that could lead to a lowering of tariffs on other products in future. Loading The deal, like the handful of others the Trump administration has struck in recent weeks, has been described as a 'roadmap' for a detailed agreement rather than a conventional trade deal. There are, therefore, many grey areas in the agreement that will need to be filled in. The agreement, once there is a document to agree to, would also have to be ratified by the European Parliament and the 27 individual national parliaments of the EU's members before it could take effect. All Trump's bigger trade deals involve headlines rather than substantive detail. Like the deal with Japan, it envisages the EU buying a lot of US energy – $US750 billion ($A1.14 billion) of energy over the next three years, as well as weaponry. Trump also said the EU would invest $US600 billion in the US.
