Trump returns to Scotland before negotiations with Putin

TURNBERRY, Scotland – A traveling press conference. Reporters piling in golf carts and running along the fairways trying to follow. A protester disperse golf balls marked with swastikas.

The last time Donald Trump went to Scotland, it was in 2016, a few hours after the Brexit vote and shortly thereafter he became the presidential presidential presidential candidate. He created a media maelstrom while he was holding court with the press, compared pro-Brexit voters to his supporters and campaigned with promoting business in a way that was Trump's signature.

This time, his trip will probably be less dramatic He spends his weekend in the shelter of preparations for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Knowing Trump, there will probably be golf on the calendar.

Connection to Scotland, the country of birth of his mother. 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." The ambassador to the UK, Robert "Woody" Johnson, told reporters before Trump's trip.

Trump's mother, born Mary McLeod, was born in Stornoway, a place that Trump calls "serious Scotland". The queen and the "pomp and circumstance" of events such as royal weddings.

"Whenever the queen was on television, my mother wanted to watch her," he told the Sun.

He faced endless opposition as he was working on renovating the Turnberry station on the west coast and developing Trump International Golf Links Scotland in Aberdeen.

David Milne, whose property dominates Trump International Links, predicted The President's visit was the same as the last time Trump appeared: he waved the Mexican national flag over his house for the clubhouse for protest against the radical views of Trump.

"He is the president of an allied country, we and we must give some respect to the office of the president, even though we think the incumbent is a complete idiot," said Milne. But, he added, "it would be better for many people to stay home and save fuel."

Anger against Trump was particularly strong in Aberdeen, where Trump's plans were tainted with controversy. 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 golf courses worth 1 billion pounds ($ 1.3 billion). Until now, only one course has been built with a clubhouse and a 16-room boutique hotel.

The conservatives 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 the battle to stop an offshore wind farm near the seaside resort of the North Sea.

Trump likes to brag about these 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 sent out a statement stating Turnberry's positives: "Trump Turnberry is one of the most spectacular properties in the world and we are incredibly proud of its continued success." Ailsa , which hosted four open championships including the famous "Duel in the Sun" of 1977, was recently ranked world number 10 by Golf Digest and world number 16 by Golf Magazine. "

At its last Visiting 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 around. one hole to another, holding the courtyard along the path.The event also doubled as an advertisement for the course, with Trump boasting his views of the North Sea as among "the great sights of the world. "

Trump also passed The visit hailed the British vote to leave the European Union, and drawing parallels between Brexit voters and anger leading his own presidential campaign. This, despite the fact that Scotland voted against Brexit.

"I like to see people bring back their country," he said at a press conference marking Turnberry's $ 200 million rehabilitation. the hotel but they were far from the candidate and of course. But a man wearing a fleece from Turnberry briefly interrupted the press conference by throwing a box of golf balls sporting the Nazi logo.

This time the anti-Trump organizers have 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 United Against Trump said: "Trump likes to talk about his Scottish relations, but we are going to show that his policy is not welcome here."