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Donald Trump arrives in UK and praises Brexit vote to 'take back control' Donald Trump arrives in UK and hails Brexit vote as 'great victory'
(about 3 hours later)
Donald Trump has expressed full-throated support for the Brexit referendum victory during a visit to Ayrshire in Scotland. Donald Trump has hailed Britain’s decision to leave the EU as a “great victory”, attributing the result to immigration and drawing parallels with opposition to what he described as the “global elite” in the US and elsewhere around the world.
The presumptive Republican nominee for the US presidency said there were parallels with the US and elsewhere. “People do not necessarily want people pouring over their borders,” he said. The presumptive Republican nominee for president said he had not only backed Brexit but successfully predicted the result, unlike Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and even David Cameron.
“The UK will be stronger for it. They have taken their independence back. They can block anyone coming in they do not think is appropriate.” Anger in response to high immigration was a worldwide phenomenon, he said, insisting this would not be the last upset as he claimed links between a Brexit vote and his candidacy for the White House.
He said the outcome had reflected the will of the people. “We will embrace it,” he said. Speaking on the first day of his two day-visit to Scotland, Trump said: “I think really people see a big parallel. A lot of people are talking about that. Not only the United States but other countries. People want to take their country back. They want to have independence in a sense.
He had landed by helicopter on the front lawn of his Trump Turnberry golf resort shortly after 9am on Friday, and immediately told reporters: “The UK had taken back control. It is a great thing.” “You see it all over Europe and many other cases where they want to take their borders back. They want to take their monetary (sic) back. They want to take a lot of things back. They want to have a country again. I think you are going to have this more and more. I really believe that. And it is happening in the United States.”
Trump then held a press conference against the dramatic backdrop of Turnberry’s ninth hole, on a promontory overlooking the sea. Trump, on his first trip overseas since he embarked on his White House bid, faced criticism in the US for making what was essentially a business trip at a time when his campaign has been faltering, falling behind Clinton in the polls and in fund-raising.
Coverage of him speaking in the UK in the midst of its biggest crisis in decades could play well on television in the US. After an especially bad few weeks for his campaign, he is trailing his likely opponent Hillary Clinton in the polls and fundraising. But this timing proved impeccable, arriving just hours after the UK confronted its biggest political crisis for decades, guaranteeing him extensive television coverage in the US.
Trump has faced criticism in the US for leaving his campaign for what seemed a trivial issue, the formal reopening of the Turnberry golf resort. Since the campaign began, he has made stops at nine hotels or resort properties, prompting accusations that his priority is promoting his businesses rather than foreign policy trips to prepare him for the presidency. He turned the vote into political capital, issuing a statement later in the day saying the UK had exercised the “sacred right” of free people to independence and reassert control over their own politics, borders and economy. He promised a Trump administration would deepen its bonds with the UK.
But the Brexit result has justified his visit, with Trump able to claim he backed the winning side. In November, he added, it would be the turn of the US, a chance to redeclare their independence. “They will have the chance to reject today’s rule by the global elite and embrace real change that delivers a government of, by and for the people,” Trump said.
A small group of protesters was restricted to a car park, well away from the press conference. He flew overnight from New York to Glasgow Prestwick airport where he transferred to one of the three Trump helicopters – two permanently based in the US and one in the UK – for the short trip to the Trump Turnberry golf resort, stepping on to the lawn to the sound of bagpipes.
No senior British or Scottish politicians were present, regarding him as too toxic. Initial plans to include a visit to a golf resort in Ireland were shelved when neither the president or any other senior politician would meet him. He held the press conference on a promontory overlooking the sea and a lighthouse, the resort’s ninth hole. The start was delayed by a protester carrying red golf balls with swastikas on them.
Trump described the referendum result as a historic vote and predicted many such uprisings around the world. “It will not be the last. There is lots of anger,” he said. Trump, in a white hat emblazoned with “Make America Great Again” and accompanied by his wife and family, devoted about 15 minutes to extolling the excellence of his golf course, saying that even people who hated him would acknowledge this.
He flew overnight from New York to Glasgow Prestwick airport, where he transferred to one of his three Trump helicopters – he keeps two in the US and one in the UK – with Trump in big red capital letters along the side. He took the short helicopter ride to his hotel. It is unusual for a US presidential candidate to use an overseas trip to make a naked pitch for business but Trump does not see it like that. It was the ninth such visit to one of his hotels or resorts since the campaign began. In an odd twist, he said countries could learn lessons from running golf clubs.
He stepped down on to the lawn to the sound of two pipers in full Highland regalia against the backdrop of the saltire, one of the biggest in Scotland, fluttering over the golf course. US reporters accompanying Trump said his press conference, in which he repeatedly turned to the issue of immigration, was more restrained than his previous campaign performances.
The UK visit, Trump’s only overseas trip since he launched his White House bid, was set up primarily with business in mind, to cut a ribbon formally opening the renovated hotel. Asked about Cameron, he expressed sympathy for him, even though there had been what he described as rough patches, presumably a reference to the prime minister’s criticism of the presumptive Republican candidate. Asked about Boris Johnson, he declined to comment.
Trump said his relationship with the UK was a “love-fest”. I asked Trump why Cameron was not prepared to meet him. He replied: “David Cameron would have met me. David Cameron was negotiating to meet me. But I do not think he wants to meet anyone right now.”
I said no senior UK or Scottish politician wanted to meet him, citing Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond, and suggested it was because he was toxic. Taking offence at the question, he described me as “a nasty, nasty guy”.
The only politicians present for the reopening were from South Ayrshire council, led by the provost Helen Moonie.
The protests were held well away from the press conference, at a car park on the grounds. Trump said the predictions had been that thousands would turn up – in fact the predictions had been a couple of hundred – but and his staff estimated the turnout at only 43.