Trump caps his Scottish visit by opening a new golf course
BALMEDIE Scotland AP U S President Donald Trump opened a new golf unit bearing his name in Scotland on Tuesday capping a five-day foreign trip designed to promote his family s luxury properties and play golf Let s go - - Trump commented before he used a golden pair of scissors to cut a red ribbon and fireworks popped to mark the ceremonial opening of the new Trump module in the village of Balmedie on Scotland s northern coast This has been an unbelievable evolution Trump disclosed beforehand He thanked his son Eric for his work on the project saying it was truly a labor of love for him Son Don Jr also was present Eric Trump disclosed the module was a passion project for his father Instantly after the opening Trump Eric Trump and two professional golfers teed off on the first hole Trump rarely allows the news media to watch his golf battle though video journalists and photographers often find him along the program wherever he plays Trump planned to play holes before he arrives back in Washington on Tuesday night The overseas jaunt let Trump escape Washington s sweaty summer heat and humidity while questions about the development of Jeffrey Epstein followed him across the Atlantic Ocean But it added to a lengthy list of approaches the Republican president has used the White House to promote his brand Billing itself as the Greatest Holes in Golf the Trump International Golf Links Scotland was designed by Eric Trump The unit is hosting a PGA Seniors Championship event later this week before it begins offering rounds to the residents on Aug Signs promoting the event were seen all around the program on Tuesday while temporary signage on the highway guided drivers onto the correct road Golfers hitting the module at dawn as part of that event had to put their clubs through metal detectors as part of the defense procedures for Trump s arrival The day combined two things close to Trump s heart golf and Scotland His mother Mary Anne MacLeod was born on the Isle of Lewis and eventually went to New York She died in at age My mother loved Scotland Trump mentioned Monday during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at another of his golf courses Turnberry on Scotland s southern coast It s different when your mother was born here He appeared to be in such a good mood that he even praised the throng of journalist who had assembled to cover the event saying there was no fake news on the program I didn t use the word fake news one time not one time Trump revealed Trump worked specific official business into the trip by holding talks with Starmer and reaching a agreement framework for tariffs between the U S and the European Union s member countries though scores of key details remain to be settled But the trip has featured a lot of golf and the presidential visit is sure to raise the new module s profile Trump s assets are in a trust and his sons are running the family business while he s in the White House Any business generated at the module will ultimately enrich the president when he leaves office though Visible from around the new syllabus are towering wind turbines lining the coast part of a nearby windfarm Trump sued to try to block construction of in He lost the incident and was eventually ordered to pay legal costs for bringing it and the issue still enrages him During the meeting with Starmer Trump called windmills ugly monsters and suggested they were part of the bulk expensive form of potential I restricted windmills in the United States because they also kill all your birds Trump noted If you shoot a bald eagle in the United States they put you in jail for five years And windmills knock out hundreds of them They don t do anything Explain that Starmer commented in the U K we believe in a mix of ability including oil gas and renewables The new golf unit will be the third owned by the Trump Organization in Scotland Trump bought Turnberry in and owns another discipline near Aberdeen that opened in Trump golfed at Turnberry on Saturday as protesters took to the streets and on Sunday He invited Starmer who famously doesn t golf aboard Air Force One so the prime minister could get a private tour of his Aberdeen properties before Tuesday s ceremonial opening Even if you play badly it s still good Trump commented of golfing on his syllabus over the weekend If you had a bad day on the golf lesson it s OK It s better than other days
