Trump tells Starmer: Get rid of ‘windmills' and focus on North Sea oil
The US president issued the appeal as he confirmed he is to meet the Prime Minister in Aberdeen later this month – while noting the city was the 'oil capital of Europe.'
In an interview with BBC News, Mr Trump said there was 'so much oil' remaining in the North Sea and argued that the UK Government should 'bring back' energy policies focused on extracting it.
In contrast, he said wind farms were damaging 'the beauty of Scotland' and should be torn down.
Mr Trump's intervention came ahead of his July visit to Scotland, when he is expected to visit his golf resorts in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire.
He will meet Sir Keir and John Swinney, the Scottish First Minister, during the trip. Protests are expected to take place and up to 5,000 police officers could be deployed on 12-hour shifts.
Mr Trump told BBC News: 'We're going to have a meeting with... a state meeting with the Prime Minister, and that's gonna be up in Aberdeen, which is the oil capital of Europe, they should bring it back too.
'They have so much oil there. They should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil. [Because] the windmills are really detrimental to the beauty of Scotland and every other place they go up.'
In 2019, Trump International lost a long-running court battle to stop a major wind power development being built in the North Sea off Aberdeen.
Mr Trump argued that the project, which included 11 wind turbines, would spoil the view from his golf resort at Menie in Aberdeenshire.
Sir Keir and Ed Miliband, the UK Energy Secretary, have come under fire over their ban on oil and gas licences to explore new fields in the North Sea.
Gary Smith, the general secretary of the GMB union, previously attacked Sir Keir's 'bonkers' net-zero plan and warned there was a 'growing sense of betrayal' among North Sea oil workers.
Although oil licensing is a responsibility reserved for the UK Government, SNP ministers have also adopted a presumption against further exploration in the North Sea.
The SNP has also used its control over the planning system in Scotland to encourage the construction of thousands of onshore and offshore wind turbines.
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce said it was 'extremely proud' of the city's reputation as Europe's energy capital.
A spokesman said: 'For as long as we require oil and gas as part of our energy mix over the decades to come, we should produce as much of that as possible from the North Sea – sustaining jobs and growing our economy.
'The biggest barrier to investment in the North Sea is a 78 per cent tax rate on profits, and perhaps the US President can persuade the Prime Minister to lift that punitive tax when they meet in Aberdeen.'
But Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Greens' co-leader, attacked Mr Swinney's plan to hold a meeting with Mr Trump during the visit.
Mr Harvie said: 'The SNP's decision to meet with this convicted felon is a tragic one, and is out of step with Scotland's values. Appeasing political extremists like Trump won't save us from his misinformation and toxic rhetoric.'
He added: 'If the Scottish Government won't make it clear to Trump, then I'm sure the people of Scotland on the streets protesting his every move will make it loud and clear. Donald Trump is not welcome here.'
Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's deputy leader, said Mr Swinney was right to meet the US president. She said: 'We live in a democracy. It is right that people have the right to protest, but, at the end of the day, I think this is a personal visit he's making.'
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