On Saturday, US President Donald Trump retained a subdued presence at his golf resort in Scotland, as he gears for meetings with eminent British and European leaders. Across the ocean, his connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein stirred up a barrage of questions. Trump’s arrival in Scotland on Friday was met with widespread protests, with multitudes thronging the streets of Edinburgh, the capital city. Many among them wielded signs expressing their reproach towards the US president using local Scottish colloquialisms.
During his interaction with the media, Trump mentioned his plans to visit both his golf properties in Scotland, namely, Turnberry on the west coast, where he played Saturday, and another near Aberdeen on the east coast. His itinerary also includes meetings with the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Scottish leader John Swinney, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Trump expressed his admiration for von der Leyen, referring to her as a ‘highly respected woman’, amidst ongoing trade negotiations between the US and the European Union.
Ursula von der Leyen reached Scotland on Saturday, preparing for the scheduled meeting with Trump on Sunday afternoon. The US side was also represented by two top officials who flew in from Washington. Officials from both parties projected a guarded optimism about the possibility of reaching a broad trade agreement. Upon his arrival in Scotland on Friday, Trump refrained from associating negotiations explicitly with non-trade matters. However, he indicated his inclination to discuss concerns regarding immigration.
Trump is known for his stringent immigration policies since he resumed his term. His strategies include a large-scale deportation operation targeted at illegal immigrants and tighter regulations for legal immigration to the US. Emphasizing his stance, Trump expressed his belief that rampant immigration is wreaking havoc in Europe.
Trump seemed visibly irritated by repeated probing about his administration’s management of the case files pertaining to Epstein’s criminal charges and his suspicious demise in prison in 2019. On Friday, Trump urged the reporters to shift their attention to graver issues and concentrate on other people. The US President was spotted unwinding on the golf course early Saturday morning. There were no public interactions listed in his schedule for the day, and intense security measures ensured that both reporters and supporters were kept at a distance.
As per the White House, Trump’s golfing companions for the day were his son, Eric Trump, and US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens. White House insiders believe that remaining away from public scrutiny might provide an opportunity for the ongoing Epstein controversy to simmer down, as claimed by two trusted sources privy to the details.
Simultaneously, away from the tranquillity of the golf course, the US consulate in Edinburgh saw a sizeable gathering of anti-Trump protestors. Some displayed placards that portrayed Trump alongside Epstein, while others waved signs advocating for Palestine. One of the protestors, Cat Cutmore, a resident of Edinburgh, expressed her desire to oppose Trump’s visit due to her profound worries about the escalating crisis in Gaza after 21 months of conflict. She also disapproved of what she perceived as Trump’s assault on democratic values, and was taken aback by the warm welcome extended to him by British and Scottish officials.
Janet MacLeod Trotter, another local resident and historical fiction writer, voiced her resentment over Trump exploiting his mother’s name for his personal gains. This was specifically in reference to Trump’s plan during the visit to inaugurate a golf course in Aberdeen, which was to be named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. MacLeod was born and raised in Scotland before emigrating to the United States.
The event also brought Gabriele Negro, an Italian national working at the University of Edinburgh, into the streets to protest. He wanted to communicate his disagreement with Trump’s immigration policies and his disposition towards the situation in Gaza just like the other demonstrators.
Trump became the owner of the Turnberry resort after purchasing it for $60 million (approximately $91 million) in 2014. The property not only boasts of a lavish hotel but also a sensational golf course. The objective behind this acquisition was to bring back the Open Championship to Turnberry, which has not hosted the event since 2009. However, Trump clarified to the media that his visit was ‘not about that’, thus putting to rest any accumulation of such speculations.
Despite Trump’s aspirations, the tournament has not returned to Turnberry. Raised concerns regarding the lack of necessary facilities and infrastructure needed to support an event of such a large scale, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators, have been the primary reasons.
The post The Challenging Scotland Visit: Trump Amidst Epstein Controversy and Protests appeared first on Real News Now.
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