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A traveling press conference. Reporters piling in golf carts and running along the fairways trying to follow. A protester dispersing golf balls marked with swastikas.
The last time Donald Trump traveled to Scotland was in 2016, a few hours after the Brexit vote and shortly thereafter he became the presumptive Republican presidential candidate. He created a media maelstrom while he was holding court with the press, compared pro-Brexit voters to his own supporters and campaigned with promoting business in a way that was Trump's signature.
Here is the video of Trump's visit to Scotland in 2016, before being president of the United States:
This time, his trip will probably be less dramatic, as he spends the weekend getting ready for his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Knowing Trump, there will probably be golf on the calendar too.
"I arrived in Scotland and I will be at Trump Turnberry for two days of meetings, calls and, hopefully, golf – my primary form of exercise!" Trump tweeted Saturday morning. "The weather is nice, and this place is amazing! Tomorrow I'm going to Helsinki for a meeting Monday with Vladimir Putin."
I arrived in Scotland and I will be in Trump Turnberry for two days of meetings, calls and hope of golf – my primary form of exercise! The weather is nice, and this place is amazing! Tomorrow, I'm going to Helsinki for a meeting Monday with Vladimir Putin
Trump has long professed a special connection with Scotland, his mother's birth country. It has two championship-level golf resorts in the country, including the Turnberry waterfront. But since he 's ventured to Scotland a dozen years ago, Trump has lost money and fought battles with long – time residents, wind farms and farms. local politicians. "President Trump probably knows this country better than any other president." Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Robert "Woody" Johnson, told reporters before Trump's trip
Mother born in Scotland
Trump's mother, born Mary McLeod, was born in Stornoway. "He says that his mother loved the queen and the" pomp and circumstance "of events like royal weddings.
" Whenever the queen was on television, my mother wanted to watch her, "he told the Sun.
The US President will spend the next two days at the Turnberry Hotel in Scotland for what is considered a private tour, the opportunity to play a few rounds of golf before meeting with the Russian President in Helsinki Monday (Peter Morrison / Associated Press)
But Trump faced endless opposition as he worked to renovate the Turnberry station on the west coast and develop Trump International Golf Links Scotland, in Aberdeen
David Milne, whose Trump International Links dominates, plans to mark the President's visit in the same way as the last time Trump appeared: by beating the Mexican national flag on his house in preparation for the club's to protest against the radical views of Trump 's immigration. from a country that is allied with us and we must give some respect to the office of president, even if we think that the holder is a perfect idiot, "said Milne.But, he added," this would be better for many people to stay home and save fuel. "
Anger at Trump was particularly strong in Aberdeen, where Trump's plans were mired in controversy. bought the land in 2006. Neighbors accused Trump of harassment and intimidation to get them to sell land, and a local fisherman became a national hero when he refused to sell to Trump, despite an offer of 690 $ 000
The Trump organization was initially refused to build on legally protected dunes, but the Scottish government finally granted permission to create about 6,000 jobs, a five-star hotel with 450 rooms and two terraces worth 1 billion pounds of golf ($ 1.7 billion Canadian). Up to now, only one course has been built with a clubhouse and a 16-room boutique hotel
A Greenpeace protester paragliding on the golf course Friday in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland, with a Banner Stating "Trump: Well Below Par," shortly after the US President arrives at the hotel. Trump bought the station in 2014. (John Linton / Press Association via AP)
The conservationists also claim that the course may damage an important site of particular scientific interest . And a few months before Trump won the Republican nomination, he lost a lawsuit to stop an offshore wind farm near the seaside resort of the North Sea.
Trump likes to brag about the properties – at a press conference at the NATO summit in Brussels he called Turnberry "a magical place" – they also lost money. A financial report filed by Trump with the British government last year showed that he had lost millions of dollars on both properties and the losses had more than doubled in 2016 to 17.6 million. pounds ($ 23 million). It was the third consecutive year of losses. Asked about the losses, The Trump Organization emailed a statement that pointed to Turnberry's positives: "Trump Turnberry is one of the most spectacular properties in the world and we are incredibly proud of its continued success. , which hosted four open championships including the famous "Duel in the Sun" of 1977, was recently ranked .10 Worldwide by Golf Digest and .16 Worldwide by Golf Magazine. "
During his last visit to Scotland, Trump created a show made for television while he was holding a press conference at his course in Aberdeen. Reporters in golf carts followed Trump as he was moving from one hole to another, holding the yard along the way. The event also doubled as an advertisement for the course, with Trump touting his views of the North Sea as among "the great views of the world."
$ 200 million spent to restore the property
Trump also spent the visit leaving the European Union and drawing parallels between Brexit voters and the anger that drives his own presidential campaign, despite the fact that Scotland voted against Brexit. [19659002"Iliketoseepeoplebringbacktheircountry"hesaidatapressconferencemarkingTurnberry's$200millionrehabilitationonSaturdayneartheTrump-ownedgolfclub[19659005] (Henry Nicholls / Reuters)
Dozens of protesters demonstrated outside the station but were kept away from the candidate and the course, but a man wearing a fleece from Turnberry briefly interrupted the conference press release throwing a box of golf balls sporting the Nazi logo.
This time the anti-Trump organizers planned a series of demonstrations. Among them: a "carnival of resistance" in front of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Saturday, should attract bus demonstrators from all over the country. Other more modest events were also planned, especially outside the president's golf courses. Police Scotland has assembled 5,000 police officers to provide additional security at a cost of up to 5 million pounds ($ 6.6 million).
Kirsty Haigh of Scotland's United Against Trump said, "Trump likes to talk about his Scottish relations, but we're going to show that his policy is not welcome here. "
