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CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Trump flees Washington controversies for golf-heavy trip to Scotland
Fleeing Washington's oppressive humidity and nonstop questions over heated controversies, President Donald Trump is once again taking weekend refuge at his golf clubs — this time more than 3,000 miles away in Scotland. While the White House has called his five-day trip a 'working visit,' it's fairly light on the formal itinerary. Trump is poised to hold trade talks Sunday with the chief of the European Union and is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday. But he's expected to spend most of his trip out of public view at two of his golf resorts – Trump Turnberry in the west and Trump International about 200 miles away in the north, near his mother's ancestral homeland. 'We have a lot of things in Scotland,' Trump said as he left the White House on Friday, noting his familial ties to the land. 'I have a lot of love.' Even with protesters threatening to disrupt the visit, Trump's four nights in temperate Scotland come as a summertime respite after six months back in office. His administration is engulfed in a deepening political crisis over its handling of disclosures around the case of Jeffrey Epstein, accused sex trafficker and former friend of the president's. Nearly every time Trump has spoken with reporters in recent weeks, he's been pressed with new questions about the Epstein scandal, many of which are fueled by deep suspicions that he and his followers have been stirring for years. New revelations about his personal ties to the disgraced financier have kept the matter alive. The Scotland trip schedule allows Trump to focus instead on areas where he's more comfortable: trade deals, his family businesses and golf. Trump often speaks fondly of his ties to Scotland, the birthplace of his late mother, though the feeling has been far from mutual — his development of luxury golf resorts over the last two decades has ignited objections from many local residents. Thousands of demonstrators marched in the streets here in 2018 during his first presidential visit. The centerpiece of this trip is a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday for a new 18-hole golf course in Aberdeenshire on the windswept coast of the North Sea. It's named the MacLeod Course in honor of Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born in 1912 outside of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. She left for New York in 1930 at the age of 18, emigrating to the United States following World War I. She married Fred C. Trump, the son of German immigrants, in 1936 and died in 2000. A black and white photograph of her sits prominently behind the president's desk in the Oval Office. Authorities in Scotland have spent weeks preparing for Trump's arrival. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond told reporters the security operation would be the largest the country has mounted since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, including local officers, national security divisions and special constables. The overall tone toward Trump has been markedly less fond, however. The Friday edition of The National, a liberal-leaning newspaper that supports Scottish independence, rolled out a not-so-welcoming message to Trump with a blaring and bold front-page headline: 'Convicted US Felon to Arrive in Scotland.' A group called Stop Trump Scotland, a coalition of demonstrators, said it planned to organize protests at Aberdeen and outside the US consulate in Edinburgh as part of a 'Festival of Resistance.' Photographs of a sign outside one of his golf clubs that said 'Twinned with Epstein Island' were circulated online and published in UK newspapers. As he left the White House on Friday, Trump made no mention of the disapproval awaiting him. He said he eagerly anticipated meeting left-leaning Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who has been an outspoken critic and last year endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. 'He's a good man,' Trump told reporters. 'I look forward to meeting him.' With trade talks intensifying, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen announced Friday that she planned to meet with Trump in Scotland on Sunday 'to discuss transatlantic trade relations and how we can keep them strong.' Trump said earlier there was a '50-50' chance he would reach a trade deal with the EU, adding as he departed for Scotland that his administration was 'working very diligently' with Europe. Trump's meeting with von der Leyen — whom he has not yet hosted at the White House — comes as the EU rushes to clinch a trade deal with its largest trading partner that would stave off a threatened 30% tariff set to take effect August 1. In the past, Trump has adopted a hostile attitude toward the European Union, claiming it was formed to 'screw' the United States. He has maintained a somewhat distant relationship with von der Leyen, who was close to former President Joe Biden, adding another complexity to their Sunday meeting. 'That would be, actually, the biggest deal of them all if we make it,' Trump said of a potential agreement with the European Union after he landed in Scotland Friday. It's the first visit Trump has made to the country since 2023, when he broke ground on the golf course dedicated to his mother. But returning this weekend as the sitting American president has roused critics, including Green Party leader and member of parliament, Patrick Harvie. 'Donald Trump is a convicted criminal and political extremist,' Harvie told reporters in Scotland this week. 'There can be no excuses for trying to cozy up to his increasingly fascist political agenda.' While golf is the primary item on Trump's weekend schedule, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the trip as 'a working visit that will include a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Starmer to refine the historic US-UK trade deal.' Starmer has worked to develop a warm relationship with Trump, visiting him at the White House in February and holding conversations since then on trade, military support for Ukraine and other global challenges. It's paid off, at least somewhat — Starmer is one of a handful of country leaders who have secured a trade deal with Trump. The deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, officials said, is expected to be among the topics discussed, but British officials have generally been working to lower expectations for the Monday meeting, suggesting it is a prelude to an official state visit in September. Trump is set to return to the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III for a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle. He was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 at Buckingham Palace. 'This is really special,' Starmer said in February when he extended the invitation to Trump in a letter from the King. 'This has never happened before, this is unprecedented.' The Scotland visit is the fifth international trip Trump has taken since returning to office. He briefly visited Rome for Pope Francis' funeral in April, toured the Middle East in May, met with G7 leaders in Canada and attended a NATO summit in the Hague in June. 'President Trump's affinity for Scotland is real, regardless of what people think of his politics,' Anas Sarwar, the Labour Party leader in Scotland wrote in an April essay in The Times of London. 'His family's investments in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire are real and significant.' This is the first trip overseas that is built nearly entirely around a weekend of golf. For a president who repeatedly railed against his predecessors for golfing – and called last week on the Republican Senate to cancel its annual August recess and 'long weekends' to keep working on his agenda – Trump hits the links without apology, no matter the season. From his regular winter visits to two of his courses in Florida to his spring and summer trips to his clubs in Virginia and New Jersey, seldom does a weekend go by that Trump doesn't spend time at one of his golf courses or resorts. On this trip, Trump is scheduled to spend three nights at Trump Turnberry, a luxury resort that he has owned since 2014 on the west coast, overlooking the Irish Sea. 'It's the best resort in the world, I think,' Trump boasted of his club. He will also spend one night at his course in Aberdeenshire, on the northern coast, and take part in the only public event expected on his itinerary: a dedication ceremony for a second 18-hole course. The president voiced optimism that one day the British Open would return to Turnberry. It was last held at Trump's course on the Scottish west coast in 2009, five years before Trump purchased the resort. 'I think they will do that,' Trump said Friday. 'Turnberry is rated the No. 1 course in the world.' The organizers of the Open have said concerns over lack of hotel space and some local road infrastructure challenges have prevented the championship from being played there. Politics is also at play, which was underscored by a full-page advertisement in the National newspaper on Friday that urged the public to sign a petition against it. 'Don't let the divisiveness of Donald Trump hijack and overshadow this great event,' the advertisement said. 'Do the right thing. Don't give The Open to Trump Turnberry.' Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump's Private Scottish Trip Comes With Risks for UK's Starmer
By , Ellen Milligan, and Freya Jones Save Donald Trump arrives in Scotland on Friday evening for a private five-day visit of his mother's ancestral home, taking in two golf resorts he owns. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer knows full well that when it comes to this US president, little is ever really private. Trump's first trip to Britain since his reelection will see him travel to his estates at Turnberry on Scotland's picturesque west coast and Menie in Aberdeenshire. It comes only weeks before he crosses the Atlantic again on an official state visit to meet King Charles III in September. For Starmer, who will meet Trump in Scotland, it's not without its risks.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Donald Trump visit: US President set to touch down in Prestwick Airport for four-day Scotland trip
DONALD Trump is due to touch 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. 4 4 4 4 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 will be greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray when he steps off his Air Force 1, with the minister 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. 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.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Police brace for huge protests ahead of Donald Trump's visit to his golf resorts in Scotland - as 1,500 officers are redeployed
Donald Trump is expected to face major protests in Scotland from tomorrow for a five-day private visit to his golf resorts, as 1,500 officers were redeployed. Police are concerned about the impact of the trip by the US President, who also plans to see Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney. Mr Trump is expected at Turnberry in Ayrshire tomorrow afternoon, before flying to RAF Lossiemouth in Moray on Monday evening then heading to his Menie golf course in Aberdeenshire. His return journey will begin on Tuesday via Lossiemouth. Chief Superintendent Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, said the trip would require a 'significant operation across the country over many days' and will 'undoubtedly stretch' Police Scotland resources. The senior officer's comments came after similar concerns raised by the Scottish Police Federation - the body which represents rank and file officers. But Mr Swinney has insisted policing will not be put in a 'detrimental position' as a result of the visit. A major policing operation is being put in place both the visit and any protests, with Police Scotland seeking officers from other areas of the UK to bolster its numbers. Concerns have also been raised about the cost of the policing operation with officers likely to cancel rest days to ensure adequate staffing amid the demonstrations, including from the Stop Trump Coalition which is organising a 'festival of resistance'. Mr Trump's last visit as a serving President in July 2018 saw thousands of people protest in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The trip cost Police Scotland more than £3million and required mutual aid as officers were sent in from other UK forces. The latest visit is expected to require a security operation as big as the arrangements for the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022 - involving up to 6,000 officers - with taxpayers again facing a bill of more than £3million for policing his stay. Around 5,000 Police Scotland officers will be needed for the 'large-scale, complex' Operation Roll 2 – the codename for policing the visit - with a further 1,000 drafted in from the rest of the UK. How Donald Trump's mother Mary was a daughter of Scotland Mary Anne MacLeod Donald Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. The President has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. Mr Trump's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in 1912 near the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwest coast. 'My mother was born in Scotland - Stornoway, which is serious Scotland,' the President said in 2017. She was raised in a large Scots Gaelic-speaking family and left for New York in 1930, one of thousands of people from the islands to emigrate in the years after the First World War. Ms MacLeod married the President's father, Fred C Trump, the son of German immigrants, in New York in 1936. She died in August 2000 at the age of 88. Mr Trump still has relatives on Lewis, and visited in 2008, spending a few minutes in the plain grey house where his mother grew up. A 'ring of steel' has been established at Turnberry, with 10ft perimeter fencing erected as security measures are ramped up by officers with road closures in place. Several 'road closed' signs were put on the road, as well as checkpoints for 'authorised access'. Chinook helicopters were at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, while US military planes and helicopters gathered on Monday ahead of his arrival. A convoy of vehicles and staff are being flown in to keep him safe during his visit. Ordinarily his bullet-proof motorcade could include up to 50 vehicles, some carrying anti-aircraft guns and hi-tech radio equipment, while others are designated for family, close aides and members of the Press. Several black SUVs were unloaded from two US Air Force C-17 cargo planes at Prestwick yesterday, with another three of the aircraft arriving in the afternoon. Some of the vehicles in the presidential motorcade were immediately driven to the nearest petrol station, in Monkton, for refuelling accompanied by several security personnel. It is believed the motorcade then continued to Turnberry. Despite stringent security measures, including a number of no-fly zones, plane-spotters were still able to gather near the Ayrshire airport and zoom in on the action on the runway. The Police Federation of England and Wales highlighted how 1,500 officers have been redeployed to support the visit. Tiff Lynch, its national chair, said: 'Let's be clear: this is a private visit by a head of state to play golf. And we are pulling 1,500 officers - roughly a third of the size of an average police force in England and Wale - away from their normal duties to support it. 'That should stop anyone in their tracks. These are officers who would otherwise be responding to emergencies, safeguarding the vulnerable, and reassuring communities. Instead, they're being asked to give up rest days and work excessive hours to police a leisure visit.' Mr Trump will likely be hoping the trip can put some distance between himself and an ongoing controversy involving his ties with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier and sex offender, and anger over failures to release case files. In a sign of how sensitive the issue is, the White House excluded the Wall Street Journal from press pool traveling with Trump this weekend, following an article in the newspaper about a 'bawdy' letter he allegedly sent to Mr Epstein in 2003. The Stop Trump Coalition is organising events in Aberdeen and outside the US embassy in Edinburgh on Saturday, with protests also expected around Turnberry and Menie. Connor Dylan, who is organising the protests in the cities, told The Guardian: 'The vast majority of people in Scotland were already opposed to everything Trump stood for when he first visited as president. As we've learned more and more about him and the way he governs, that attitude has only hardened. 'His politics - and those of the people around him - have only become more extreme since then, with once fringe ideas like mass deportations now part of mainstream American politics and being effectively exported to the UK and other European countries by far-right allies.' Trump's ongoing Scots golf course battles Mr Trump's ties and troubles in Scotland are intertwined with golf, after he first proposed building a course on a stretch of the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen in 2006. The Trump International Scotland development was backed by the Scottish government, but it was fiercely opposed by some local residents and conservationists. They claimed the stretch of coastal sand dunes was home to some of the country's rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters. Local fisherman Michael Forbes hit the headlines after he refused the Trump Organization's offer of £350,000 to sell his family's rundown farm in the centre of the estate. Mr Forbes still lives on his property, which Mr Trump once called 'a slum and a pigsty.' 'If it weren't for my mother, would I have walked away from this site? I think probably I would have, yes,' Mr Trump said in 2008 amid the planning battle over the course. 'Possibly, had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn't have started it.' The golf course was eventually approved and opened in 2012. Some of the grander aspects of the planned development, including 500 houses and a 450-room hotel, have not been realised, and the course has never made a profit. A second 18-hole course at the resort is scheduled to open this summer. It's named the MacLeod Course in honour of the President's mother. There has been less controversy about Mr Trump's other Scottish golf site, the long-established Turnberry resort, which he bought in 2014. He has pushed for the British Open to be held at the course for the first time since 2009. Turnberry is one of ten courses on the rotation to host the Open, but organisers say there are logistical issues about 'road, rail and accommodation infrastructure' that must be resolved before it can return. Back in March, Turnberry was vandalised, with the message 'GAZA IS NOT 4 SALE' sprayed across the grass, a reaction to the President's suggestion of relocating Palestinians and turning the Gaza Strip into luxury real estate. Meanwhile police officers are raising concerns about the impact of the trip, with Mr Hay stating: 'The private visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland at the end of July will require the Police Service of Scotland to plan for and deliver a significant operation across the country over many days. 'This will undoubtedly stretch all our resources from local policing divisions to specialist and support functions such as contact, command and control.' Police superintendents and chief superintendents will have 'key leadership roles' for the visit, he added, saying they would be taking responsibility for areas such as planning and resourcing, intelligence gathering, command and control communications, armed operations, public order, and other specialist functions. Mr Hay urged the public to be aware of the 'significant demands that will be placed on policing services during this period' - adding these result from not only the Presidential visit but the 'many popular events that Scotland hosts in the summer months, which bring thousands of tourists to our country and rely upon partnerships with policing to support their safe delivery'. His comments came as Scottish Police Federation general secretary David Kennedy warned the police response to the visit could impact on the service it provides to the public in Scotland. Asked about the visit, Mr Kennedy told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Anyone who says it won't affect it (policing in Scotland), I can't believe that's the case. It will affect it. 'You may be waiting in the past for so many hours for a police officer to arrive, that could double now, you may be waiting for more time for them to arrive. 'Obviously, emergency calls will take priority, but it will affect communities in Scotland. 'We've been asking long and weary to have more police officers in our communities in Scotland and all this does is take them away from that at this time.' Asked if the quality of policing will be impacted by the visit, Mr Kennedy added: 'It will be seriously affected, it has to be. There's not enough police officers for it not to be affected.' Mr Swinney told the PA news agency on Tuesday that talks are ongoing between Police Scotland and the Scottish and UK governments on funding, asserting that policing in Scotland will not be put in a 'detrimental position' as a result. Mr Kennedy also reiterated calls from Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond for those seeking to protest to do so peacefully. Ms Bond has already said a 'policing plan will be in place to maintain public safety, balance rights to peaceful protest and minimise disruption'. She added: 'The visit will require a significant police operation using local, national and specialist resources from across Police Scotland, supported by colleagues from other UK police forces as part of mutual aid arrangements. A general view of the Trump Turnberry golf course yesterday ahead of the President's arrival 'Officers make sacrifices every day to keep people safe, and their dedication and professionalism is the reason we manage to deliver significant operations.' Mr Swinney meanwhile said it was important that Mr Trump's visit is 'handled with care'. While the First Minister accepted the need for 'security around the President' has also said there 'has to be the legitimate right for individuals in our country to make their voices heard, to protest'. Mr Swinney stated: 'We are a democratic society and people must be able to protest within the law and the policing operation will be designed to ensure that is the case.' With the President's visit expected to include the opening of a second golf course at Menie, Mr Swinney said: 'I obviously spend a lot of my time as First Minister encouraging investment in our country, so I welcome investment in the facilities that are being taken forward.' But Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: 'This is just the latest siren warning to SNP ministers about the impact of their brutal cuts on Police Scotland's ability to cover the Presidential visit. 'We've already had threats of legal action from the SPF over the demands on rank-and-file officers, as well as a plea from bosses for reinforcements from Northern Ireland – and now we have the representative of senior officers sounding the alarm bell too. 'The buck stops with SNP ministers, who have squeezed police funding to the point where those at the sharp end feel compelled to speak out about the dangerous lack of resources.'
Travel Weekly
17-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Summer golf trips are in full swing. Will an inbound drop be a handicap?
The destination golf market, which has been booming since the pandemic, is primed for another strong year as summer begins. The impact of one setback, however, is still to be determined: a drop in bookings from inbound golfers to the U.S., which tour operators are reporting. According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), 12.1 million U.S. adults played golf as part of an overnight vacation in 2024, either domestically or abroad. The figure is slightly down from 12.2 million in 2023 but is still tracking approximately 20% above the average of the three years preceding Covid. NGF surveys show that this year, 41% of people who play at least eight golf rounds per year plan to take an overnight golf trip, down just slightly from the 43% who did so last year. "Overall, the golf travel economy really seems to be moving along with continued strength," CEO Greg Nathan said. Nathan said the marketplace has been especially buoyed by unyielding demand for the most prestigious U.S. golf resorts, such as Pebble Beach on California's Monterey Peninsula and the seven-course Bandon Dunes facility along the Oregon coast, where the newest course, called Shorty's, opened last year. "Trophy courses -- for the most part, they are booked a year in advance," Nathan said. Meanwhile, courses that cater to the travel market are making up an increasing share of the U.S. golf course stock. Overall, just under 10% of the nearly 14,000 U.S. golf courses are affiliated with a resort, the NGF said. But over the past five years, 31% of new openings are resort-related. When destination courses that don't have a resort affiliation are included, that number increases to approximately 40%. Nathan said the trend will continue, in part because it has become cost prohibitive in many cases to build courses in major metropolitan areas. Many of the relatively small number of courses that are being built are located in farther-afield locations suited primarily to the destination market. The 18th hole at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, S.C., one of the most recognizable finishing holes in golf. Photo Credit: Golfbreaks Growth in destination properties KemperSports, operator of more than 180 golf courses nationwide, including Bandon Dunes, classifies more than 25 courses in its portfolio as destination properties. It's a number that has grown over the years with the development of bucket-list destinations Streamsong in Florida, which opened in 2013 and has for four courses, and the similarly acclaimed Sand Valley in Wisconsin, which has five courses and debuted in 2017. KemperSports has also grown its portfolio of midmarket destination golf courses, including Tidewater in South Carolina's Myrtle Beach area, which it added in 2023. CEO Steve Skinner said the growing emphasis that consumers, including young adults, began placing on experiences during the pandemic carried over to the golf market and hasn't abated. "We have not seen any signs of a slowdown caused by a recession or economic turmoil at any level of the destinations," Skinner said. "Tidewater is going to have a record year this year. For the rest of this year and early next year, demand remains strong." Tidewater, in the Myrtle Beach area, is expecting a record year in 2025. Photo Credit: KemperSports Strength, with areas of weakness Golf tour operators are similarly reporting strength, both in U.S. domestic sales and bookings for golf trips abroad. Daniel Grave, CEO of Golfbreaks, said the multinational company's U.S. operation grew 27% in its previous fiscal year, which ended on May 1, and projects 25% growth this fiscal year. Golfbreaks, which is the market leader in the U.K. outbound golf tour operator market, expanded to the U.S. in 2016. An area of weakness, however, is inbound golfers from Canada, Grave said, adding that 10% to 15% of Golfbreak's North American business is typically Canadians traveling to golf in the U.S. This year he is anticipating a 50% drop-off in that market. "The Trump effect is definitely negatively impacting travel into the U.S., and that includes golf travel," Grave said. Joe Cerino, owner of the West Palm Beach, Fla.-based tour operator Sophisticated Golfer, said concern about the impact Trump policies are having on the sentiment of European golfers was pervasive at the European Convention of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, which was held last month in the Canary Islands. "A lot of the operators that are based in Europe, and some of them that are in business for a long time and sold the U.S. as a destination — that business has really taken a major hit," Cerino said. He particularly noted concern from German tour operators who attended the conference. Skinner, though, said that KemperSports' courses have yet to see a related impact on their businesses, though he noted anecdotal reports of a slowdown in Canadian bookings. "Time will tell," he said. "We might see that impact coming later this year."
