How John Swinney and Donald Trump struck up an unlikely bromance during the President's Scotland trip
John Swinney' s unlikely friendship with Donald Trump was forged over a dinner of langoustine and beef at the President's golf club in Balmedie.
The pair sat next to each other and the SNP leader used the opportunity to charm and flatter the leader of the free world.
They exchanged anecdotes about the late Sir Sean Connery and Swinney gently lobbied to exempt the whisky industry from crippling tariffs.
Keir Starmer had left the dinner early and Swinney ended up getting two hours face time at the private event - more than the Prime Minister.
Swinney was then invited by Trump to a family breakfast the next morning that included the President's sons Don Jnr and Eric, who is in charge of the Scottish golf businesses.
At one point, Swinney showed Trump a picture of his teenage son Matthew playing golf in Tiree, to which the President replied by saying the First Minister's child had a 'beautiful' swing.
Later in the day Trump, never a man to pay false compliments, gushed about Swinney ahead of opening his third course in Scotland.
He described Swinney as a 'really special guy' and - to the surprise of the First Minister's advisers - even claimed he 'loves golf'.
Swinney later joked: 'I am aware of golf.'
Their bromance is remarkable given Trump's five day trip could have been a disaster for Swinney.
He endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris at the 2024 presidential election and earned a rebuke last year from Eric Trump, who said:
'I mean, obviously [ Swinney ] read the temperature very wrong. He got it wrong. He got it very wrong because my father won decisively.
'And so, you know, endorsing a person three days before an election in a different country, and missing the mark by as much as it was missed by, you know, he read the tea leaves incorrectly.
'Again, my father adores Scotland, and you have a First Minister coming out and just being fairly nasty in the days leading up."
The US President also hates tax, loathes renewable energy and is openly scornful of trans rights.
In his time in Government, Swinney has backed income tax rises, supported offshore wind projects and defended law changes to help trans people.
He is exactly the sort of politician Trump routinely denounces as 'crazy left' in the US.
In avoiding a public spanking from Trump, Swinney learned lessons from the humiliation meted out to President Zelensky in the Oval Office in February.
Trump is the vainest man on the planet and wants credit when he puts his hand in his pocket to assist on international affairs.
Zelensky did not thank Trump in front of the cameras for the aid provided to Ukraine by the US and he let rip.
By contrast, Swinney thanked Trump for his family's investment in Scotland and for providing aid to Gaza. The soft soap approach worked.
Older hands also believe Trump's long memory may be responsible for the positive relationship with Swinney.
In 2007, Swinney as SNP Finance Secretary 'called in' Trump's application for the golfing development in Aberdeenshire after opposition by the local council.
The project was given the go-ahead and the SNP Government of the day was accused of favouring Trump.
As a result of dining with Trump, the First Minister now believes there is an outside chance of the US chiselling down the tariffs on whisky ahead of the second state visit in September.
Swinney will take his case to the US ambassador to the UK after concluding that Starmer has not prioritised the whisky industry in discussions on a trade deal.
Trum p.
Small acts of resistance by other countries against the US have prompted Trump to threaten even greater sanctions.
Swinney will have been worried on Friday that he was in line to receive the same treatment but both sides have left the resort happy.
The US may keep a 10% tariff on whisky and Trump will no doubt continue to aim barbs at the 'windmills' he believes sully the landscape.
But no damage has been done by Trump 's visit and the links between Scotland and the US have been strengthened.
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