WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is heading to Britain later this month for the ceremonial opening of his Turnberry golf complex in Scotland following an extensive, multimillion dollar revamp, his campaign said Wednesday.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s June 24 visit will come on the heels of a British referendum over its membership in the European Union. Trump has previously said Britain would be “better off” without the EU, putting him at odds with Prime Minister David Cameron, who is pushing to stay in the 28-country bloc.
It’s unclear whether Trump will meet with Cameron or other British officials while overseas. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said a schedule would be released close to the visit.
Cameron has previously said that while British prime ministers do traditionally meet with U.S. presidential nominees if they visit theUK, he had no confirmed plans to meet with Trump. His office said Wednesday that it had no additional updates regarding a meeting with the businessman-turned-politician.
Cameron has been critical of Trump’s call for temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States because of terror concerns, calling the proposal “wrong and divisive.” Trump responded by saying it appeared he was “not going to have a very good relationship” with Cameron if he’s elected president, though he later tried to walk back those comments.
While presidential nominees often travel overseas to bolster their foreign policy credentials in the general election, Trump has been dismissive of such trips, saying he doesn’t believe they register with voters. But he has expressed interest in attending the opening of his Scottish golf resort.
Turnberry, which is located on the western coast of Scotland and south of Glasgow, has hosted several British Open tournaments. The property reopened to guests Wednesday following the $290 million renovation.
Trump has extensive golf course holdings in several countries. He has described Turnberry as “one of the great resorts of the world.”
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AP writers Jill Lawless in London and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.
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Just curious…does he actually own the golf course as an asset or is it another one of his properties he just lends his name to for marketing and branding purposes? Inquiring minds and the American electorate want to know. Btw, who goes tending to personal business interests in the middle of a campaign for the Presidency but doesn’t go to meet or deal with introducing one’s self to other leaders in those countries where they are going? And…is this golf course business venture going into some kind of blind trust should he become President? Aren’t there better questions that the AP could have looked into regarding this man’s businesses?
I thought Mitt’s foreign policy tour four years ago was an unmitigated disaster that couldn’t be duplicated. Little did I know…
I am holding my breath, I wonder if the heads of British Intelligence will brief him, like they did to Mitt Romney. (strange, they do it, btw. the presumptive nominee is still a private citizen, why would anyone tell a private citizen, still unelected, state secrets ?)
Drumpf’s very “popular” in Scotland. I suspect there will be thousands of unofficial greeters.
GOOD, stay-the-course Donald…and STAY-out-of-politics.