Copyright New York Daily News
Scotland’s finance secretary is asking the United Kingdom for a $35-million reimbursement following visits from President Trump and Vice President Vance. Secretary Shona Robison said in a letter that Scotland incurred “substantial operational and financial burdens” that impacted public services as a result of those visits. That included the deployment of 4,000 total officers when Trump visited the country in July, followed by Vance’s stay in August, according to the Independent. Trump spent four days in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, where he owns golf courses. Vance spent nearly the same amount of time in Ayrshire and golfed on the president’s greens at Trump Turnberry. The visits reportedly cost roughly $26.7 million and $8 million, respectively. The U.K. said Trump and Vance’s visits didn’t constitute “UK Government business,” which puts Scotland on the hook for security expenses. Scotland contends the visits were “diplomatically significant” and therefore require compensation. “I am writing to you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the visits,” Robison wrote to her U.K. counterpart. She argues that picking up the tab for Trump and Vance’s trips would put a strain on Scottish resources. Officials there expect the matter to be further negotiated. “We love Scotland,” Trump told onlookers in July when he cut the ribbon opening his course in Aberdeenshire while flanked by his sons Eric and Donald Jr.
