Donald Trump is as close as he’s ever been to a real trip to Scotland. He’s likely to stay at his swanky golf palaces at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire. He begins his journey on the heels of the growing war in his base. These tensions grew following his inability to release documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein and an alleged “black book” of elite clientele. Amidst these controversies, Trump announced plans to open a third golf resort in Scotland, dedicated to his Scottish-born mother.
Trump’s visit includes a highly-publicized meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This meeting presents a tremendous opportunity to bring together critical discussions on a range of political and economic topics. His trip comes in the midst of multiple investigations and stormy public relations waters. Citizens are asking how he could have maintained cozy relationships with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, while blowing millions on the renovation of the Federal Reserve.
Before leaving, Trump took questions from the press on the Justice Department’s search for evidence that Epstein may have trafficked girls to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. He said he didn’t know what was going on in the negotiations between his attorney Todd Blanche and Maxwell. “I’m not sure how the conversation has gone,” Trump stated. He instilled great faith in Blanche, calling him “the true professional lawyer” who has been through the stormy waters before.
In response to inquiries about the condition of his properties, Trump replied that he’s free to renovate them whenever he chooses. He has not prioritized renovations. This week’s round of Congressional tensions came with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. These tensions center around the costs involved with renovating the Fed. To get these financial matters worked out, Trump had a precedent of visiting the Fed.
Trump’s remarks go further than just Scotland, touching on how we should engage with the world altogether. Here’s what he had to say about the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He has recently claimed that Hamas “didn’t want to negotiate” on a ceasefire and hostages release. This comment is in lockstep with the administration’s earlier pronouncements during the war that echoed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas was a barrier to negotiations.
Fines Trump’s administration is already moving to impose on universities. This comes on the heels of Columbia University’s historic federal investigation settlement of more than $220 million. While the controversies continue to pile up, commentators have observed that Trump’s go-to playbook move is to distract from more urgent matters. Local expert Gwenda Blair summed up this mood, calling it a “distraction machine” that has failed to work in recent years.