Trump's Armored Golf Cart Spotted in Scotland
As the president hit the links of his Turnberry golf course this weekend, a black golf cart that appeared to be heavily fortified was seen following close behind.
Dubbed 'Golf Force One' by media outlets, the souped-up cart arrives roughly 10 months after Trump survived an alleged assassination attempt while golfing.
Trump, however, chose to cruise the course in a regular white golf cart on Saturday and Sunday, with the Golf Force One keeping close company.
Experts told The Telegraph that the vehicle's heavy armor is evident from the distinctive black band around the windscreen.
'The windscreen is a giveaway, as are the side panels, doors, and the large panel at the rear above the load tray,' said an expert, who asked to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of his work.
The president's official limousine 'The Beast' is similarly fortified. The $1.5 million Cadillac is bulletproof, blast resistant and hermetically sealed against chemical attacks, according to The Telegraph.
Trump's private visit has drawn nearly a third of Police Scotland's manpower, according to Daily Mail.
Several police snipers were observed setting up positions around the rural area where Trump stayed this weekend. The Independent reports that 1,500 officers have been pulled from their normal duties in support of Trump's four-day visit.
Police Scotland has only said the costs would be 'considerable,' according to the Los Angeles Times. But policing for Trump's four-day visit to the U.K. in 2018—which also included two days in Turnberry—cost taxpayers more than $19 million.
Widespread protests broke out in the country upon his arrival, with hundreds of demonstrators gathering in Edinburgh and other cities on Saturday, according to The Mirror US.
Meanwhile, a man who said he had a bomb and wanted to 'send a message' to Trump forced a Glasgow-bound flight to make an emergency landing Sunday morning.
In September 2024, Secret Service agents spotted a man aiming a rifle from the bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Trump was approximately 900 to 1500 feet away, according to BBC.
Agents fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Routh, who fled the scene but was later arrested by police about 40 miles from the course. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the incident.
Two months earlier, Trump survived another attempt on his life during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson declined to comment on the 'Golf Force One' when contacted by the Daily Beast, stating, 'The U.S. Secret Service employs a variety of tools and resources to safeguard our protectees. In order to maintain operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss the specific means and methods used to conduct our protective operations.'
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump weighs in on American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney ad
President Donald Trump is entering the national debate surrounding American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney ad. In a Newsmax interview Friday, Aug. 1 with host Rob Finnerty, Trump was asked about the "Euphoria" actress starring in the clothing retailer's fall 2025 denim ad campaign that some critics saw as a veiled attempt to endorse eugenics. Eugenics is a highly controversial (and discredited) set of beliefs that the human population can improve or advance itself through selective breeding. "Sydney Sweeney, an actress was in an ad for blue jeans. The ad is doing very well, it's very popular. The jeans have sold out. Does America need to see more ads like that and maybe fewer ads with people like Dylan Mulvaney on the cover?" Finnerty asked, referring to the controversial 2023 Bud Light campaign starring the transgender TikTok star which elicited criticism from certain groups. Trump addresses Diddy pardon decision, but questions remain Trump said that "advertising's a very funny thing," telling Finnerty that "I've done ads where I thought they were lousy, and they turned out to be iconic. And then I've done some that I thought were beauties that were going to be fantastic and they weren't so good, so to each his own." Before addressing his thoughts on advertising, Trump told the conservative cable host earlier in the interview that "I think the Dylan Mulvaney ad was perhaps the most unsuccessful ad in history. It knocked $35 billion off the value of a certain company if you know what I'm talking about." Trump continued: "(The Mulvaney ad) was one of the great disasters of all time. I would say that's probably the most unsuccessful ad, worst ad ever." It is unclear what exact $35 billion valuation the president is talking about, but sales for Bud Light – owned by Anheuser-Busch – tanked after the backlash began. American Eagle breaks silence on Sydney Sweeney jeans ad controversy Why is the 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' ad sparking backlash? The Sweeney ad has been the subject of both online praise and anger for over a week. On July 23, the brand launched the new campaign starring Sweeney, which American Eagle originally described as "a return to essential denim dressing," with Sweeney sporting 1970s-style flare jeans paired with a denim jacket. In one of several videos for the campaign, Sweeney, clad in a denim-on-denim fit, dabbles in some word-play, telling cameras: "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color." "My jeans are blue," Sweeney said in the video. Each promotional video ends with the tagline, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." The Trump comments aired the same day that American Eagle broke its silence on the backlash and doubled down in an Instagram post following days of discourse about the Sweeney ad blitz. "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way," the statement read. "Great jeans look good on everyone." Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Nicole Fallert
27 minutes ago
Office of Special Counsel says it's opened Hatch Act probe of Jack Smith
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel confirmed Saturday that it has opened an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith and whether he violated the Hatch Act through his criminal investigations into President Donald Trump. The investigation follows a referral from Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas earlier this week that asked the OSC to investigate Smith for his investigative and prosecutorial activities prior to the 2024 election which Cotton argued were intended to harm Trump's political prospects. Both Smith and former Attorney General Merrick Garland repeatedly maintained prior to departing office that none of the actions taken in either the classified documents investigation or the probe of Trump's efforts to subvert his 2020 election loss were driven by politics. A spokesperson for Smith's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday on the OSC probe. The OSC is an independent agency that is not empowered to investigate criminal matters - it is separate from the Special Counsel post that Smith formerly served in under the Justice Department. OSC primarily operates as an agency to assist government whistleblowers in reporting allegations of waste or wrongdoing, and also enforces the Hatch Act which places restrictions of government employees from engaging in partisan political activities. It's unclear what course of action the OSC would even have to take against Smith if its investigation did determine he violated the Hatch Act, given Smith is no longer a government employee. While it could refer its findings to DOJ, the department has already publicly said that it is investigating Smith and other prosecutors who pursued Trump through its so-called "Weaponization Working Group" that is being led by former interim DC U.S. attorney Ed Martin. The announcement of the investigation also comes as the administration has found itself under increased scrutiny over its handling of the release of filings relating to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — with top officials from across the administration appearing eager to change the subject.
New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Agency Scrutinizes Jack Smith After Republican Complaint
An agency that scrutinizes the conduct of federal employees has opened an investigation into Jack Smith, the former special counsel who investigated Donald J. Trump before he returned to office, following a request by a Republican senator. The Office of Special Counsel confirmed on Saturday that it had opened an investigation into Mr. Smith for a possible violation of the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits federal workers from using their government jobs to engage in political activity. Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, had asked the agency to investigate on the premise that some of Mr. Smith's actions, such as seeking quick trial dates in the two criminal cases against Mr. Trump, were designed to influence the 2024 election. The investigation, which was first reported by The New York Post, is unusual in several respects. First, the most severe penalty possible for a Hatch Act violation is dismissal from federal employment, and Mr. Smith left the government at the start of the year. Second, the type of prosecutorial decisions criticized by Mr. Cotton, Mr. Trump and others are far different from the type of cases the O.S.C. typically handles. The office traditionally investigates and addresses violations of federal rules about the civil service. The investigation comes at a time when lawyers representing fired or demoted federal employees have complained that under Mr. Trump, the O.S.C. is not fulfilling its traditional role. In February, the president dismissed the agency's head, Hampton Dellinger, despite a federal law saying that person can only be fired for 'inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.' At the time, Mr. Dellinger had been arguing for the reinstatement of thousands of probationary workers who had been fired by the new administration.
