Donald Trump jets into Scotland on Air Force One – as top cops brace for major protests in massive security op
TRUMP IN TOWN Donald Trump jets into Scotland on Air Force One – as top cops brace for major protests in massive security op
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DONALD Trump has touched down in Scotland this evening for a four-day visit - his first visit to the UK since his re-election.
The US president is expected to visit his golf resorts at Turnberry on the Ayrshire coast and Menie in Aberdeenshire over the weekend.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
5
President Donald Trump waves as he disembarks from Air Force One at Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Credit: Reuters
5
Air Force One approaches the runway at Prestwick Airport
Credit: EPA
5
He briefly spoke with the media on the tarmac before being escorted away by his armoured motorcade
Credit: Getty
5
High security measures have been cranked up at his golf resorts
Credit: Getty
5
It is believed Mr Trump's family landed at Prestwick Airport midday in a Trump branded jet
Credit: Colin Stephen
He is also due to open his second course at Menie named after his late mother Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born on the Isle of Lewis.
The President will also meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney during his Scots trip.
He was greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray when he stepped off his Air Force 1, with the minister earlier pledging to give the American leader a "warm welcome".
Mr Trump's presence will result in a significant operation from Police Scotland and thousands of officers, who are expected to deal with mass protests around his golf courses and major Scottish cities.
High security measures have been cranked up at his golf resorts at Turnberry and Menie, Aberdeenshire, ahead of his arrival.
The ring of steel includes a strict no-fly zone at both locations.
Earlier today it is believed Mr Trump's family landed at Prestwick Airport in a Trump branded jet.
One eagle-eyed punter said: "It looked like a big travel operation was already well underway.
"It's not every day you see plane's carrying the US President and his family land on your doorstep."
It comes after the President's Secret Service motorcade was spotted after arriving in Scotland.
Donald Trump's family plane lands in Scotland ahead of Turnberry visit
The black SUV vehicles were seen filling up at a petrol station in Monkton after being unloaded from a huge US Air Force Globemaster plane on Thursday.
Trump will be here between this evening and next Tuesday and is expected to mix golf and business with key political meetings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Spectator
7 minutes ago
- Spectator
Why couldn't Britain have dealt with the EU like Trump?
The more you look at the trade deal negotiated between the US and the EU, the more you want to ask: why couldn't Britain have dealt with the EU like that? Why has every UK Prime Minister since Theresa May acted so feebly in the face of the EU's tactics and ended up getting such a poor deal out of the EU? Trump has get pretty much everything he wanted. Goods imported into the US from the EU will in future be subject to tariffs of 15 per cent – half the rate that Trump had threatened but far higher than existed prior to 'Liberation Day' on 2 April. What has Ursula von der Leyen got in return? Nothing at all, other than the punitive tariffs being dropped. She has agreed to lowering tariffs on imports from the EU, in some cases to zero. She has also agreed to the EU buying more products from the US, including liquified natural gas (LNG), making a mockery of the EU's net-zero policy. Like Britain, the EU has wound down its fossil fuel industry on the pretext that it is yesterday's energy and we won't need it for much longer as we transition to clean renewables – but then it commits itself to buying increased quantities of LNG from the US. Say what you like about Trump, but it is easy to argue that he has proven a far stronger defender of his country's interests than Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer. Britain is nearly as important a destination for EU exports as the US: in 2024, 21 per cent of its exports went to the US and 14 per cent to Britain. Yet no Prime Minister has properly used this leverage to give Britain any advantage. May got nowhere in the end but would have committed Britain to becoming a rule-taker from the EU. Johnson agreed to place an internal UK border down the Irish Sea. Sunak did a little better in trying to resolve this, but then Starmer has put us back closer to where May wanted to take us: agreeing to EU rules on plant and animal products while having no say in the making of those rules. Why did UK Brexit negotiators never threaten punitive tariffs on German cars and French wine? Instead – and in spite of Theresa May's mantra of 'no deal is better than a bad deal' – we acted as if no deal was never an option. Simultaneously, we treated Trump – whose first presidential term lasted throughout the Brexit negotiations – as a kind of oaf who was destroying America's reputation. Had our leaders emulated him rather than scorned him we would be in a lot better position now. It all starts to look a bit different, however, if you look at Trump's trade negotiations from the point of view of consumers rather than producers and ask instead: has Trump really scored such a victory? If you are an American motorist who fancies a new car, your choice has just narrowed, and many of the options available have just increased in price. It is not just consumers, either, who may feel this is not quite the victory for the US it might look like on the surface. Most manufacturers rely on international supply chains. While tariffs may help snuff out some of their competition, they will in future face higher prices of raw materials and components. This does not appear to feature all that much in Trump's mercantilist mind. To him – and not just him, because many world leaders seem to think the same – exporting stuff is a strength and importing stuff a weakness. When you think of things that way, the US has been cheated by the lopsided tariffs which have long existed between the US and the rest of the world. Yet the fact remains that the US has done extremely well out of its low import tariffs. Its economy has grown far faster than those of its more protectionist rivals. So yes, it is easy to admire Trump's negotiating tactics. The whirlwind of the past few months, with threats followed by negotiations and flattery, has been a wonder to watch. It is sad that UK leaders have lacked the courage to act in such a brazen fashion towards the EU. Yet that doesn't mean that the US will end up being the big winner from higher import tariffs. On the contrary, overall the US economy is likely to grow less strongly as a result.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer to have key Gaza meeting with Trump during state visit
Sir Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet US president Donald Trump at Turnberry on Monday for discussions covering Gaza, trade, and Ukraine. Sir Keir intends to press Donald Trump for a ceasefire in Gaza and to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians, amidst growing calls for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state. Donald Trump confirmed that the meeting would address the existing trade deal between the US and UK, and also extensively discuss Israel. The mini-summit follows a bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, where a trade deal was agreed. The meeting takes place against a backdrop of intensifying debate over the Middle East crisis, including a public disagreement between Sir Bob Geldof and Kemi Badenoch regarding aid to Gaza.
STV News
7 minutes ago
- STV News
Trump to meet Starmer on day three of Scotland visit
Donald Trump is expected to meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and potentially Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, on day three of his Scotland visit. On Monday, the leaders are expected to discuss progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal, hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. The start of discussions show the US President getting down to business on what is a private, five-day visit to Scotland. Trump landed at Prestwick Airport on Friday evening for a five-day visit to Scotland and was seen playing golf at his Trump Turnberry resort on Saturday and Sunday. Sir Keir will travel to Scotland to meet the president on his golf course, where he met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday afternoon. The US President said on Sunday night that he struck a trade deal with the European Union following meetings with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Mr Trump said the EU deal was the 'biggest deal ever made'. It is understood that he will discuss Washington's work with partners in Qatar and Egypt during his talks with Mr Trump and seek to determine what more can be done to urgently bring about a ceasefire. They will also discuss the recently agreed US-UK trade deal and the war in Ukraine. Mr Swinney announced that he met Ms von der Leyen on Saturday evening in Glasgow and discussed the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Mr Swinney said: 'I was pleased to welcome the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Scotland. 'During our meeting, I outlined Scotland's continued support for the European Union's leadership in demanding free and safe humanitarian aid in Gaza, alongside efforts to bring an end to the unbearable suffering unfolding. 'I also took the opportunity to reiterate Scotland's steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the country's commitment to work with European partners on key issues, including energy.' Speaking ahead of the talks with Trump, Mr Swinney said it was his responsibility to 'raise global and humanitarian issues of significant importance, including the unimaginable suffering we are witnessing in Gaza' with the President. A spokesperson for the UK Government said: 'The UK and the US have one of the closest, most productive alliances the world has ever seen, working together to cooperate on defence, intelligence, technology and trade. 'The UK was the first country to agree a deal with the US that lowered tariffs on key sectors and has received one of the lowest reciprocal tariff rates in the world. 'Businesses in aerospace and autos are already benefiting from the strong relationship the UK has with the US and the deal agreed on May 8. 'The Government is working at pace with the US to go further to deliver benefits to working people on both sides of the Atlantic and to give UK industry the security it needs, protect vital jobs, and put more money in people's pockets through the Plan for Change.' After a meeting, the world leaders will travel on together for a further private engagement in Aberdeen. Mr Trump will visit the UK again in September for his second state visit. No protesters were arrested at demonstrations about the US President, according to police. A 50-year-old woman was issued with a recorded police warning in connection with alleged threatening behaviour at a Stop Trump Scotland protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday, but no arrests were made, according to Police Scotland. Former Aberdeenshire councillor Debra Storr was arrested on Friday near the Trump International Golf Links in Menie, Aberdeenshire, for writing a chalk message critical of Donald Trump on a road near the site. She was charged under Section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and is banned from entering the Menie estate until her court appearance on 22 August. A 'festival of resistance' is set to be held near Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course ahead of meetings with political leaders on Monday. The protest at The White Horse Inn, Balmedie, Aberdeen, is close to the Trump International Scotland golf resort and organisers said they object to it receiving £180,000 of public funding for the Nexo Championship next month. Organiser of Stop Trump Scotland, Alena Ivanova, said: 'As Donald Trump is expected to arrive at his Aberdeenshire golf course, residents and protesters are gathering in Balmedie from 3pm to continue the festival of resistance. 'This message is to Donald Trump but also our elected leaders preparing to meet him: there is no place for Trumpism in Scotland. 'They need to stand up to him instead of kowtowing to this bully – including by handing over hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayer money for a golf tournament hosted at Trump International even while he attempts to bully us with tariffs. 'In the vicinity of the golf course people will be making noise and using creative props to bring the message as close to home as possible – Donald Trump is not welcome here.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
