Trump heads to Scotland: Will meet with Starmer, protests planned

President Donald Trump is headed to Scotland as part of a trip that may help the U.S. and U.K. finalize key trade agreements. The visit is also expected to bring protests, as multiple demonstrations are planned against Trump’s visit, and some locals have expressed frustration with the president over the development of his golf courses in Scotland. 

Trump’s trip is slated to run from Friday, July 25 to Tuesday, July 29.

Protests expected

While protests are being organized, Trump is expected to receive a warm welcome from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as the world leaders meet to discuss trade ahead of a historic state visit to the United Kingdom in September. 

Trade deal to be discussed

During this trip, President Trump is set to meet with Starmer to “refine” a recent U.S.-U.K. trade agreement, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The United Kingdom was the first nation to reach a trade deal with the White House after Trump suspended his reciprocal tariffs in April.

What parts of the trade agreement are still in play?

At the heart of the agreement is a 10% baseline tariff on British goods sent to the United States, along with the implementation of specific quotas and exemptions for auto parts and aerospace equipment exports. 

The deal went into effect on June 30, but there are areas of the agreement that are still in the “commitment” phase. One of those is a promise to remove the 25% tariff on U.K. steel and aluminum, which were implemented to make sure that British steel imports are “melted and poured” domestically and do not originate from China. 

Another sticking point is the U.K.’s digital services tax on Big Tech, even if they’re not headquartered in the U.K., which the Trump administration wants removed. 

UK is in a better position than EU nations

While the United Kingdom holds a more favorable position with the U.S. than its European Union counterparts — many of which are scrambling for last-minute deals before Aug. 1 — there are still unresolved issues. 

What are some announcements to watch for?

One of the remaining points of negotiations may be a so-called “give and take” in the trade deal between the United Kingdom and United States, according to Kallum Pickering, a chief economist at Peel Hunt, who spoke with CNBC on Wednesday, July 23. 

“Of course, the U.K. would probably like the steel and aluminum tariffs to go down. And the U.S. has a bit of an issue over the digital services tax, so it’s possible that that’s just an easy deal,” Pickering said, noting that there may be some specific noteworthy announcements when Trump and Starmer meet.

“Anything that puts a positive spin on U.K.-U.S. relations in context of this [wider] Aug. 1 deadline, probably at the margin, is actually a positive for the U.K., even if the deal itself is not a good one. We wouldn’t sit here, look through the detail, and say, ‘Oh, this is a brilliant trade deal,’ it’s just in context, actually, it doesn’t look too bad,” Pickering added.

Scots expected to protest Trump’s visit

While Trump and Starmer meet, protesters are expected to gather around Scotland to voice displeasure with the president. Among Scottish residents, 70% disapprove of Trump, and he is less popular in Scotland than in the United Kingdom as a whole, according to Ipsos polling. His unpopularity stems from tariffs, mass deportations, and a perceived lack of support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion. 

The U.K.-based Stop Trump Coalition is arranging demonstrations in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dumfries, as noted by its website. The coalition organized large-scale demonstrations when Trump visited the United Kingdom during his first administration and restarted the effort after his reelection. 

The coalition said it is aiming to “defeat the politics of Trumpism, and to promote an alternative, democratic vision of the world based on peace, social justice and international cooperation.”

Golf resort controversy

Scotland has deep  ties to golf, and Trump is a well-known fan and player of the sport, with many well-established golf properties.

Trump is slated to visit his Scottish golf resorts, which include Turnberry on the west coast and Trump International Scotland in Aberdeen on the east coast. 

The Aberdeen resort has long been a source of controversy for Trump. He has faced opposition from homeowners over plans to demolish homes, environmentalists who are upset he built it over a nature preserve and he fought an unsuccessful legal battle to stop the construction of a wind turbine development off of the coast. 

David Milne, whose home Trump’s team tried to seize via eminent domain because it obstructed the resort’s view, said Trump’s staff retaliated by planting spruce trees to block his ocean view. 

“We got a preview of Trump here,” Milne told The Washington Post. “It was very much a case of ‘either you love what we are doing or you are the enemy.”

Others criticize the resort for damaging a once-pristine natural habitat. 

“This was a tragedy that was entirely foreseeable,” Martin Ford, a former county council told the Post. “It was pristine ecology, a wonder of nature, and now look at it.”

Officials approved the project on Trump’s pledge he would construct “the greatest golf course in the world.” He presented it as a $1.2 billion resort with a 450-room luxury hotel, 950 apartments, 36 villas and up to 500 houses. He also said it would create thousands of jobs. However, 20 years later, that has yet to happen.

Trump plans to celebrate the opening of a second golf at Trump International Scotland on Aug. 13, as stated by the resort’s website.

Supporters of Trump’s resort

Despite the backlash, the club, which opened in 2012, has its fans. Experienced golfers tout the links and course that cuts through scenic dunes. 

“It’s the best course I’ve ever played,” Russel McGee, a member of Aberdeen, told the Post. 

Family ties

The president also has family ties to Scotland, which is the birthplace of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. She was born in Tong, which is on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides Islands. MacLeod immigrated to New York in the 1930s.

Another high-profile trip in the wings

The Scotland trip precedes a formal visit from Sept. 17-19, during which Trump will be hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle in what is expected to be a lavish ceremony.

It will mark the first time a U.S. president has attended a second state visit to Britain. 

Leavitt said that Trump is “honored and looking forward to meeting his majesty the king” and called the visit “truly unprecedented.” 

Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief