President Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on July 25, 2025, before leaving for Scotland.
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Jim Watson/AFP
President Trump heads to Scotland on Friday for a four-day trip expected to include a mix of personal time and diplomacy.
Trump plans to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “refine” a previously announced trade deal with the United Kingdom He is also expected to meet with Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney.
In June, the White House announced that it had finalized a trade agreement with the United Kingdom that lowered U.S. tariffs on British cars to 10%, but there are some details about steel tariffs still up in the air.
Trump told reporters he didn’t think there was a lot of room to move on steel tariff issues, but he said that he would meet Starmer twice on the trip, at Turnberry and Aberdeen.
Trump will spend much of his time during the trip at his golf courses. He owns two in Scotland and is opening a third.
President Trump plays a round of golf at his course in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 15, 2018.
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Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe
Protests are expected
When Trump visited Scotland in 2018 during his first term as president, there were extensive protests. This time, demonstrations are planned for Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Earlier this week, a protest sign related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared at Trump’s golf course in Aberdeen.
Trump, who was once friends with Epstein, is facing a backlash from supporters who want more information released about the disgraced financier’s crimes and his 2019 death by suicide in jail.
Trump has been trying to distance himself from the Epstein controversy that has dominated Washington. But he’s been under increasing pressure — particularly from inside his MAGA universe — to release more information.
On Thursday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell who is serving time for sex trafficking, and talks were slated to continue on Friday. Her lawyer told reporters she answered all of Blanche’s questions, though there are no details on what was covered.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump his name was in the Epstein files in May. NPR has not independently confirmed that reporting. The White House has dismissed this story, saying it’s long been known that Trump and Epstein had been friends but had a falling out years ago.
When President Trump visited Scotland during his first term, there were protests, including this march in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 14, 2018.
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Neil Hanna/AFP
The visit to Scotland may be a new opportunity to try and distance himself from the controversy, but it’s not like the British tabloids are known for staying out of stories like this.
Republican pollster Jon McHenry says much of the trip will depend on how Trump next responds to the controversy.
“The UK media isn’t going to say, ‘Oh, he’s on vacation, I’m going to leave him alone,’ said McHenry of North Star Opinion Research. “It’s going to be all over. They’re going to smell blood in the water. So how you respond to that first question to an antagonistic media probably sets the tone for the whole trip.”
McHenry says this is not a top issue for most Americans, but they do care about whether the White House is holding back information — or potentially covering it up.
