Overview

• Aboard Air Force One, President Trump described former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as a “terrible first minister” and said he had “no respect” for her tenure.
• In the same remarks, he praised current First Minister John Swinney as a “terrific guy” who “loves golf and loves the people of this country.”
• Sturgeon responded on Instagram with “Feeling was mutual, Donnie” and a source close to her said Trump’s alleged lack of respect for women was “hardly news.”
• Swinney said he pressed Trump to drop the 10% levy on Scotch whisky and that the president showed a “willingness” to consider relief.
• Trump later denied he had formally discussed tariff removal, reflecting ongoing uncertainty in US-Scotland trade talks against a backdrop of personal diplomatic strains.