First Minister’s endorsement of Kamala Harris an ‘insult’ says Trump business

Trump International – the business owned by US presidential candidate Donald Trump – has hit out at John Swinney’s endorsement of rival Kamala Harris.

A spokesperson for the company said the first minister’s intervention was “appalling” and an “insult” to the businesses commitment to Scotland.

Trump International runs two golf resorts in Scotland, one in Ayrshire and the other in Aberdeenshire.

Speaking to journalists after First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Swinney said: “People in the United States of America should vote for Kamala Harris. And I’ve not come to that conclusion only because Donald Trump is opposed to Scottish independence.”

Voters in the US go to the polls next Tuesday in what is thought to be the tightest race in decades.

Trump was president between 2016 and 2021, but lost to Joe Biden in the November 2020 election.

Harris has served as Biden’s vice-president for the last four years and replaced him on the Democrat ticket for this year’s election following concern about whether Biden was up to the job.

Trump is the Republican candidate.

In response to Swinney’s comments on Thursday, Sarah Malone, the executive vice president of Trump International Scotland, said: “The Trump family has shown unwavering commitment to Scotland, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Scottish economy and driving many tens of thousands of international visitors to Scotland every year.  Around 600 people – the majority of whom are Scottish – are employed directly by Trump businesses and many more local and national businesses thrive on supplying services to our resorts. 

“It is appalling to see the first minister, who talks of the need to encourage economic growth, insult this commitment and all the people involved in delivering world-class services here in Scotland.”