Trump ‘often tells May how much he hates Sturgeon’
DONALD TRUMP “hates” Nicola Sturgeon and spends a lot of time criticising her when speaking with Theresa May, a former Downing Street official has claimed.
The US president risks becoming embroiled in a new diplomatic row ahead of his golf trip to Scotland today, amid claims that he regularly devotes time during his bilateral phone calls with the Prime Minister to attack the First Minister.
The former staff member said that Mr Trump also “loathes” Ms Sturgeon’s predecessor, Alex Salmond, who, as first minister, clashed with the president over wind farm developments near his luxury golf resort in Aberdeen.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official told the Huffington Post: “He totally hates Nicola Sturgeon. He spends lots of his time bitching about Sturgeon. He loathes Salmond, too. But why spend so much time talking about Sturgeon in a phone call with Theresa May?”
Ms Sturgeon has been a long-standing critic of Mr Trump, having encouraged Americans to vote for his opponent Hillary Clinton during the US election in 2016.
In recent months, she has frequently attacked the president’s policies. She called for his visit to Britain to be cancelled when he tweeted videos from a far-right activist which were widely condemned as Islamophobic.
Last night a Scottish National Party source said it was “quite amusing” that the president used his time speaking with Mrs May to “rant about the First Minister”.
“Maybe he doesn’t like people who are willing to tell him a few home truths rather than just hold his hand,” the source continued. “That might also explain his treatment of Angela Merkel, who has tended to stand up to him.”
The revelation comes as Mr Trump travels to Scotland today, where he is expected to play golf at his Turnberry resort in Ayrshire. A demonstration against his visit will take place outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh at midday.