President Donald Trump has begun his fourth overseas visit of his second term, heading to Scotland, his mother’s birthplace, where he plans to spend several days at his family-owned golf resorts.
He is expected to visit the Trump Organization’s two existing Scottish golf courses, in Turnberry and Aberdeenshire, with a third course at the Aberdeenshire site set to open soon.
This will be Trump’s second presidential visit to Turnberry, following his first in 2018.
In 2020, ABC News reported that then-US Ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, told colleagues he had been asked by Trump to urge the British government to hold the British Open at Turnberry. While the UK government said no such request was made to Scottish officials, Trump also denied having made the request.
Following the January 6 Capitol attack, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, organisers of the world’s oldest golf tournament, the Open, announced it had "no plans" to bring the event back to Turnberry and "will not do so in the foreseeable future."
“We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances,” the R&A’s chief executive said in a statement at the time.
During a 2023 interview at Turnberry with British politician and media personality Nigel Farage, Trump claimed, “Everyone wants to see the Open Championship here. The players, it's their favorite course, number one rated in Europe.”
More recently, R&A chair Mark Darbon admitted there are “logistical challenges” to holding the tournament at Turnberry, which last hosted the Open prior to Trump’s purchase of the property in 2014. He also confirmed that the organisation met with Eric Trump and other Trump Golf executives a few months ago to explore the possibility.
Earlier this year in May, Trump visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on his first overseas visit of his second term, aiming to strengthen ties with Gulf nations. His family’s business interests have also expanded in the region, with partnerships on new projects in Saudi Arabia, Doha and the UAE, and involvement in a cryptocurrency venture linked to an Emirati government-affiliated fund.
According to his latest financial disclosure, Trump reported hundreds of millions in income from his businesses, including golf clubs and the Mar-a-Lago estate, as well as from products such as watches and fragrances. Despite this, his Aberdeenshire resort reportedly lost £1.4 million last year, per BBC reports.
Ethics experts have raised concerns over Trump’s overseas travel, suggesting potential conflicts between his presidential duties and private business.
Trump’s assets are placed in a trust overseen by his children, and officials in his administration have repeatedly dismissed claims of any conflict of interest.
“At this point, he’s essentially using the White House as an extension of the Trump Organization and letting the taxpayers pick up the bill,” said Jordan Libowitz, Vice President for Communications at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, speaking to ABC News.
The White House described Trump’s trip to Scotland as a “working trip.” The president is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and may address the press during his stay.
“President Trump’s working trip to Scotland will include a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Starmer to refine the historic US-UK trade deal. Donald J Trump has built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world, which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers in a statement to ABC News.
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