Trump plays golf in Scotland as protesters rally

Trump plays golf in Scotland as protesters rally

Air Force One landed at Prestwick Airport

US President Donald Trump played golf under tight security on the first full day of a visit to Scotland Saturday, as hundreds of protesters took to the streets in major cities.

Trump played at his Turnberry resort on the southwest coast of Scotland with son Eric and the US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, waving to photographers. He arrived in his mother's birth country on Friday evening.

His presence has turned the picturesque and normally quiet area into a virtual fortress, with roads closed and police checkpoints in place.

Police officers -- some on quad bikes and others on foot with sniffer dogs -- patrolled the famous course and the sandy beaches and grass dunes that flank it.

Secret Service snipers were positioned at vantage points while some other golfers on the course were patted down by security personnel.

The 79-year-old Trump touched down Friday at nearby Prestwick Airport as hundreds of onlookers came out to see Air Force One and catch a glimpse of its famous passenger.

- 'Get your act together' -

The president has professed a love of Scotland, but his controversial politics and business investments in the country have made for an uneasy relationship.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Trump immediately waded into the debate surrounding high levels of irregular migration, and lashed out at renewable energy efforts.

"You better get your act together or you're not going to have Europe anymore," he said, adding that migration was "killing" the continent.

"Stop the windmills. You're ruining your countries," he added.

Trump's five-day visit, which is set to mix leisure with business and diplomacy, has divided the local community.

Over on the east coast, several hundred protesters demonstrated outside the US consulate in the capital Edinburgh and further north in the city of Aberdeen, near where Trump owns another golf resort.

The protests were organised by the Stop Trump Coalition, which has called on Scotland's First Minister not to attend a scheduled meeting with Trump.

Participants held placards with slogans like "Scotland hates Trump" and waved Palestinian flags.

"I am here because of fascism in America under Trump's rule. I am here because of genocide in Gaza that is being funded and enabled by British and American governments," said 44-year-old Amy Hanlon in Aberdeen.

No demonstrations could be seen near Turnberry.

- Trade talks -

Not everyone was against his visit. 

At Prestwick Airport on Friday evening a boy held a sign that read "Welcome Trump" while a man waved a flag emblazoned with Trump's most famous slogan -- "Make America Great Again".

"I think the best thing about Trump is he's not actually a politician yet he's the most powerful man in the world and I think he's looking at the best interests of his own country," said 46-year-old Lee McLean, who had travelled from nearby Kilmarnock.

"Most politicians should really be looking at the best interests of their own country first before looking overseas," he told AFP.

Trump had no public events scheduled for Saturday, but he posted on his Truth Social network to say he was talking with the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand in a bid to end their border conflict that has left at least 33 people dead.

Trump is due to discuss trade with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry on Sunday.

He is also due to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, before heading to Balmedie in Aberdeenshire where he is expected to open a new golf course at his resort there.

Trump is scheduled to return to the US on Tuesday but will be back in the UK for a state visit between 17-19 September, when he will be hosted by King Charles III.

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