Trump's Scottish Golf Junket: Taxpayer-Funded Trip or Presidential Duty?

2025-07-25 18:00:37.482

Donald Trump's upcoming five-day visit to Scotland is raising concerns, as it seems to prioritize personal business over official duties. While the White House claims the trip includes meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, the majority of his time will be spent at his two Scottish golf resorts. The trip culminates in the opening of a new golf course named after his mother, prompting accusations that this is a taxpayer-funded junket to promote his business interests. The White House's secrecy surrounding the itinerary, including its late disclosure to Scottish police, further fuels this perception. The ban on Wall Street Journal reporters from the press pool, in retaliation for a report linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, has overshadowed the core issue of the trip's purpose. The article highlights this incident as an example of Trump's pattern of exploiting the presidency for personal gain, with little to no resistance from Congress or the media. This includes numerous visits to his golf courses throughout his presidency, with the Government Accountability Office estimating that trips to Mar-a-Lago alone cost taxpayers millions. A similar trip in 2018 cost over $1.1 million in Secret Service and State Department expenses, excluding Air Force One costs. The article concludes by noting the lack of public outcry regarding this trip, attributing this to Trump's normalization of corruption and the weakening of opposition.