US President Donald Trump made an appearance at his Turnberry golf course as he teed off on Sunday morning, being welcomed by supporters who urged him "don't trust Starmer". The Republican leader arrived around 11am at the coastal course in Ayrshire and played golf with his son Eric.
Police were seen patrolling the golf course as associates played earlier in the morning before a huge motorcade of golf caddies arrived around 10.40am. Dressed in a white baseball cap branded 'USA', Trump waved at journalists who shouted questions at him as he teed off.
Supporters gather with anti-Starmer placards
Supporters of the president carrying placards stood in the dunes urging him, "Don't trust Starmer", also shouting, "We love you Trump". Three people gathered to support the Republican leader, carrying a hand-painted placard which read: "President Trump don't trust Starmer".
The sign branded the Prime Minister with an explicit term, and was jointly held by a man dressed in black, who wore an Adidas baseball cap. A woman holding the sign wore a red baseball cap reading "Make America Great Again" with fake hair attached and appeared to laugh as she watched.
Enthusiastic crowd interaction continues
Another female supporter dressed in a floral anorak held an American flag and wore a baseball cap reading "Make England Great Again". She carried a smaller sign that also branded Starmer with an explicit term.
A female well-wisher could be heard repeatedly shouting "We love you Trump" and "thank you". Someone else shouted: "Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump" as the sound of cheering could be heard when Trump took a shot.
High-level meetings scheduled ahead
Trump appeared to shout back at his supporters but his response could not be heard over the Scottish coastal wind. Later on Sunday, he will meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for talks on the trading relationship between Europe and the US.
These talks come ahead of discussions with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday, which are also expected to focus on trade issues. Tom English, 37, who travelled from Liverpool to Ayrshire with other Trump supporters, said he was "chuffed" to have interacted with the President.
Liverpool supporter describes personal encounter
"We rushed up here hoping to get a glimpse of him. And that's happened this morning when we've got to interact with him a little bit," English explained. "We couldn't really hear him because he was trying to shout to us in this wind, in the Scottish wind on the coast."
English described how Trump "blew a kiss to the girls" and "gave us a little wave", whilst Trump junior also waved at the supporters. "We just wanted to see him in the flesh, and to get that interaction was an added bonus," he said.
Minimal arrests at protests
When asked what he and the other supporters had said to the American President, English recounted: "Just that we love him, basically. The UK loves Trump. Don't believe the mainstream media." Police said that only one person has been arrested at any anti-Trump protests.
A man was arrested at Prestwick Airport on Friday evening for allegedly carrying a placard calling Donald Trump an offensive word. The man, aged 20, was arrested next to the military airport in Ayrshire where Air Force One landed "for abusive behaviour and refusing to stop", according to Police Scotland.
The force said on Saturday that no arrests had been made, although a 50-year-old woman was issued with a recorded police warning in connection with alleged threatening behaviour at a Stop Trump Scotland protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "A 20-year-old man was arrested next to Prestwick Airport on Friday for abusive behaviour and refusing to stop. He was given a recorded police warning."
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
