Former President Donald Trump dominated the news this past weekend. He took a trip to Scotland, played golf on his Turnberry course and had a series of meetings with First Minister John Swinney. This trip was to mark the first tee-off of a new golf course at Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf resort. It would be his third course in Scotland, after investing in the Old Course at Menie and the course at Turnberry.
Waking up in Miami on Saturday morning, Trump donned a black half zip windcheater and a white baseball cap that boasted “USA” in gold lettering. He then went to Turnberry’s renowned golf course, where he played a round of golf. Later, he joined Swinney in huddling to address key issues. They mentioned whisky tariffs, the biggest issue in every Scottish MP’s inbox and my hero, the persistent blockade of Gaza. During their meeting, Trump expressed some surprise regarding whisky tariffs, stating, “We’ll talk about that, I didn’t know whisky was a problem. I’m not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be.”
The discussions emphasized the urgency in the energy sector. More recently, in a presidential visit to the United Kingdom in 2019, Trump encouraged Britain to tap its North Sea oil and gas resources. In doing so, he focused on the tremendous power of these natural assets. “You can mine 1,000 times more energy in just one hole in the ground this size!” he boasted. It’s not revolutionary, it’s called oil and gas and you’ve got a lot of it under your North Sea. He criticized wind energy, labeling it as “the most expensive form of energy” and claiming it “destroys the beauty of your fields, your plains and your waterways.” To then–presidential contender Donald Trump, wind turbines were “ugly monsters” that required a “massive subsidy.” He underlined that it is the people of Scotland and the UK who are now paying out the price.
During his visit, Trump paid tribute to his late mother. He acknowledged her as a spark for his decision to invest in Scottish resorts, in addition to his resort empire business interests. He declared that his new course at Aberdeenshire would be the second at this resort. It’ll allow his visionary influence to grow even larger in Scotland’s extraordinary golfing tapestry.
Trump’s comments on energy policy certainly rang true to his deeply entrenched animus against placing wind farms in sight of his golf club in Aberdeenshire. He even lost a court challenge to stop their building. This developing story runs parallel to Trump’s well-documented opposition to renewable energy projects that threaten views.