A Golfing Trump Is Greeted by Protesters in Scotland
"The president was criticized by demonstrators on a range of issues, from his stance on immigration and Gaza to his ties to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
As President Trump golfed Saturday at his course in Turnberry, Scotland, hundreds of protesters took to the streets to denounce his presence in Britain, opposing the administration’s policies on immigration, the war in Gaza and myriad other issues.
In Edinburgh, one woman played the bagpipes while holding an anti-Trump sign.
Mr. Trump, an avid golfer who spends many weeks on his American courses, played with his son Eric and Warren A. Stephens, his ambassador to the United Kingdom, and the diplomat’s son.
Donald Trump Jr. also accompanied his father on the trip to Scotland, where they were greeted at Glasgow Prestwick Airport by a crowd of supporters.
“The best course anywhere in the world is Turnberry,” Mr. Trump boasted to reporters after touching down, before saying he had a twofold message to deliver to Europe’s leaders: Halt mass migration and turn away from wind power.
“This immigration is killing Europe,” Mr. Trump said. “And the other thing, stop the windmills. Killing the beauty of your countries.”
On Saturday, the Scots, who opinion polls show have low regard for Mr. Trump, let their opposition to his policies be known.
A group called Stop Trump Scotland organized a rally as a “festival of resistance” against Mr. Trump that drew hundreds in Aberdeen, in Scotland’s north, and Edinburgh.
Protesters carried signs objecting to Mr. Trump’s policies, from the environment and immigration to trade and the war in Gaza. Several held signs invoking the current controversy circling around Mr. Trump: his administration’s handling of the so-called Epstein files, the records that pertain to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
At the Edinburgh protest, one woman held a sign that contained nine photos of Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein together over the years, along with the words “Best Friends Forever.”
“I think it’s quite current with what’s going on right now, with the fact that he’s not wanting to release the Epstein files,” said Melissa Park, 24, of Glasgow. “It’s obviously because he’s a big part of it, and there’s clear evidence that he’s been best friends with Jeffrey Epstein for years of his life.”
Many signs at the rally contained similar insults about Mr. Trump’s relationship with Mr. Epstein. The two men, both wealthy New Yorkers, were friends for some 15 years, before they had a falling out in 2004. Mr. Epstein killed himself in jail in 2019.
Mel Young, 58, of Alloa, held a sign that said “Release The Epstein Files.” She said her opposition to Mr. Trump is far more wide-ranging than concerns about the president’s association with Mr. Epstein, but, she argued, it was the latest example of outrageous behavior.
“I’m just so horrified by the normalization of cruelty, corruption and mass disinformation,” she said. “This is just one tiny plot of the whole thing.”
Speaking to reporters Friday, Mr. Trump denied reports that he had been briefed that his name was contained within the Epstein files. He criticized news reports’ continued focus on the files instead of trade deals he is pursuing in Europe.
“I’m focused on making deals,” he said. “I’m not focused on conspiracy theories.”
After Mr. Trump’s rounds of golf, he planned to meet Sunday with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, to discuss trade.
The president’s administration once promised to secure 90 trade deals in 90 days but fell well short of that goal. Recently, however, Mr. Trump has begun to announce more deals, including one with Japan.
As for striking a trade deal this weekend, he said, “With the European Union, I think we have a good 50/50 chance,” adding that there were still about 20 issues to resolve.
“That would be actually the biggest deal of them all, if we make it,” the president said.
Luke Broadwater covers the White House for The Times.
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