Trump in Great Britain: In the Epstein shadow: Donald Trump travels to Scotland

Donald Trump will not find peace on his secluded golf courses in the rough Scottish nature. In the midst of new revelations about a presumably close connection between the US President to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Trump travels to a five-day visit to his mother’s home country. The Epstein scandal is of particular importance for the British – and Trump is happy to protest anyway.

The journey that was planned differently

The trip to Scotland is intended as a kind of business vacation before the actual state visit to King Charles III. in September. A trade discussion with Prime Minister Keir Strandmer is planned, but in particular it is about visiting the golf resorts in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.

On the facility near the city of Aberdeen, in which larger anti-trump demonstrations are expected, Trump will inaugurate a new course named after his mother Mary Anne Macleod.

The US president has repeatedly emphasized his connections to the UK (and to the royal family). His mother, born on the rough lewis, was emigrated to the USA for her 18th birthday.

However, this hardly changes the fact that the majority of the Scots do not think much of the US president. Protest groups called for a “festival of resistance” – even before the pressure on Trump in the Epstein affair was increasing.

Epstein, Trump and the Prince

At its core, it is about Trump announced in the election campaign to release those files on the Epstein investigations that have been the central component of conspiracy theories for years. To this day, however, the US government is refusing to be published, which is why Trump is also confronted with criticism in his own ranks – his very own power base.

With a view to the Scotland trip, a new example also caused a restrictive approach to unpleasant media for criticism: The White House excluded the “Wall Street Journal” (WSJ) from the media from the media because of the reporting on the case, which Trump accompanied on the trip. In an article, the newspaper made another connection between Trump and Epstein-the US President spoke of a “fake story” and filed a lawsuit.

Epstein had systematically misused underage for many years, he maintained the best contacts to the American high society, president and billionaires. In 2019 he committed suicide in his prison cell at the age of 66.

The question that concerns people far beyond the United States is: How tight were Trump’s connections to Epstein really? The fact that they knew each other at times is offset. According to matching media reports, US Justice Minister Pam Bondi Trump informed in the spring that his name appeared in the Epstein files. A guilt, however, does not automatically be derived from it.

In the UK, the Epstein scandal plays a major role because one of the brothers of the king, Prince Andrew, was often a guest at Epstein. Queen Elizabeth II’s son therefore fell out of favor and was released by all royal tasks. Trump and Prince Andrew have met in the past on several occasions – but a meeting at the weekend is highly unlikely.

Strand and Trump should “refine” trade agreement

In Great Britain, the Trump visit had triggered minor dumping as to who the US President should now welcome. It is reported that the non -stun of a meeting with the king is said to be due to appointment problems. Strander, on the other hand, is very positive about the conversations – the United Kingdom sees itself as the most important European partner in the United States.

The primary topic of the two heads of government will be the trade relationship between the two countries. In May, in the middle of the US president’s customs dispute with the world, both nations had launched a trade agreement.

It was Trump’s first agreement with an important trading partner since his far -reaching imposition of tariffs in early April. However, some details remained open – observers speak of a framework agreement rather than an actual trade agreement. The aim of the meeting is to “refine” the agreement, as Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt explained.

For most imports from Great Britain, the United States charges tariffs of 10 percent. For a quota of 100,000 British vehicles per year, the agreement also records this customs duty – for all other cars, it provides for a 25 percent dial. When Trump announced the doubling of the import duties to steel and aluminum to 50 percent in early June, the White House also made it clear: this does not apply to Great Britain. For the trading partner, a set of 25 percent will continue to be collected.

In mid -June, Trump then instructed his trade minister to determine customs balance for steel at an unspecified time. Only Britain should meet certain concessions with regard to the supply chains for steel and aluminum products.

The United States is the country that is the most exported to the UK. The majority of British exports to the United States consisted of services (about 70 percent) last year that are not affected by tariffs. Goods made up only about 30 percent – in addition to cars, medical and pharmaceutical products were also important.