WHEN Donald Trump arrives to open his new golf course in Turnberry this morning, he can expect a boisterous welcome from hundreds of protesters gathered outside.

However, the anger of those taking part in the Scotland Against Trump protest will be as nothing compared to the fury of the Republicans who can’t quite believe their presumptive candidate for President has taken off in the middle of a campaign to promote a golf course.

Reports in the New York Times suggest his campaign is desperately short of cash and that he is the middle of a staffing crisis. He recently sacked his campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.

Senior Republicans are said to be “demanding that he demonstrate he can run a serious general election campaign”.

There’s a track record of candidates for president going on foreign trips during the campaign. Barack Obama brought the German capital to a standstill when ten of thousands of Berliners lined the streets to hear the man they hoped would replace George W Bush. That’s unlikely to happen for Trump on this two-day visit to Scotland.

On that 2008 trip Obama met Angela Merkel, and discussed Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and reducing carbon emissions. Trump is meeting nobody. Instead choosing to open his golf course at roughly the same time the UK finds out if it’s still in the EU.

Not that he seems to care too much about the UK’s membership of the EU. When asked about the vote in an interview earlier this month with The Hollywood Reporter, Trump first answered, “Huh?” and then, “Hmm.”

Finally, after someone explained what was going on he decisively answered: “Oh yeah, I think they should leave.”

But on Wednesday morning, he told Fox Business that his opinion on the issue was not significant since he had not followed it closely.

Trump has reportedly told his aides that the trip should work as a “reset” for the campaign. He will return to the states next week, refreshed and ready for the battle with Democrat candidate Hilary Clinton.

Trump’s record on foreign policy is not winning him many friends. This week, Brent Scowcroft, who served as national security adviser to two Republican presidents, said he would back Clinton for president.

Many of Trump’s aides are worried about the damage the candidate might do his campaign during this brief stop.

Lanhee Chen, a fellow at the Hoover Institution which advised 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney, explained that foreign trips are an “inherently risky endeavour.”

Romney had a string of gaffes during his overseas campaign stop: he insulted the London Olympics, upset the Arab world, and one of his assistants swore at the Polish press.

“Ideally, they will boost a candidate’s credibility on and familiarity with the geopolitical issues of the region they visit,” Chen said. “Seems to me that a foreign trip driven solely by personal financial interests would be unprecedented.”

Trump had hoped to woo Scotland’s political leaders, with gold invitations to the opening sent to Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, Labour’s Kezia Dugdale and Lib Dem Willie Rennie. All said no.

After his visit to Turnberry, Trump will head to his course in Aberdeen. No protests are expected in the North East, though neighbours of the course are flying Mexican flags.


Scotland Trip is perhaps more trouble than its worth for Trump

DONALD Trump’s visit to Scotland has aroused considerable interest in the USA, where the media has been examining just what it is all about.

The New York Times reported: “Normally when presidential contenders travel abroad, they do so to burnish their foreign policy credentials, cramming their schedules with high-level meetings with foreign dignitaries and opining on the pressing international issues of the day.

“But, to a large extent, Mr Trump’s business interests still drive his behaviour, and his schedule. He has planned two days in Scotland, with no meetings with government or political leaders scheduled.

“Traditionally, nominees travel overseas during this period to brush up their foreign policy depth and visit 10 Downing Street and Israel — for politics back here,” said Scott W Reed, senior political strategist for the US Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone knows this is the wrong thing for the nominee to be doing now, and it is amazing this can’t be stopped.”

News agency Reuters USA’s forensic examination of Trump’s Scottish golf course finances show that “Trump has likely lost millions of dollars on his golf projects”.

It said: “The analysis shows high costs and modest current valuations. Using conservative estimates of the amount Trump has spent, he may be breaking even or making modest gains; on higher estimates – based on what Trump has said he is spending – he’s losing money.

“Trump disputes the analysis. He said Reuters’ calculations overestimated what he had spent and underestimated the value of his investments. He declined to provide figures for his expenditure on courses or their current or future market values.”

He told Reuters: “I have the right to build thousands of homes on the various properties I own, and I haven’t wanted to build them (yet) because, frankly, I’ve been busy doing other things, like running for president.”

That will come as a considerable surprise to planners on South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire councils. They know of no such massive permissions.

The Chicago Tribune said Trump had “elbowed his way through the Scottish planning process, shattering relationships with elected leaders”.

Trump had also reported to Scottish authorities that “he lost millions of dollars on the project – even as he claims on US presidential disclosure forms that the course has been highly profitable”, said the Tribune.

This trip may yet prove more trouble that it’s worth for the Republican candidate-elect.