Trump ‘pressured Minister to get the Open at Turnberry’
DONALD Trump tried pressuring the former Scottish secretary to help steer the Open golf tournament to his Turnberry resort, according to US reports.
The US president had ordered his ambassador to Britain, Robert “Woody” Johnson, to lobby for the lucrative fixture to be held at his troubled Ayrshire resort and a few weeks later Johnson raised the idea with David Mundell, who was in office at the time.
According to the New York Times, the ambassador told colleagues he felt pressured to try even though deputy ambassador Lewis Lukens warned it would be an unethical use of the office of the presidency for personal gain.
Mundell – Scottish Secretary from 2015 to 2109 – denied there was any direct request from the US ambassador.
The Scotland Office said: “No request was made of Mr Mundell regarding the British Open or any other sporting event.”
The UK government said: “The previous secretary of state for Scotland had an introductory meeting with the US ambassador in early 2018. A number of issues were discussed, reflecting the close cultural and economic ties between Scotland and the USA.
“Mr Johnson made no request of Mr Mundell regarding the British Open or any other sporting event.”
The New York Times said the White House refused to comment on Trump’s instructions to Johnson, as did the ambassador and the State Department.
The official responses did not confirm whether the ambassador had informally raised the issue of Turnberry, which Trump bought in 2014.
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