Almost nothing could breach the insane security operation set up around the US President’s golf trip to Scotland – but flying insects don’t tend to obey no-fly zones
The grand opening of Donald Trump’s new Scottish golf course was very nearly overshadowed by a wasp.
I’ve been following the US President around for the last four days – and the level of protection he’s been given by the British state has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Thousands of police officers were supplied, some of them shipped in from elsewhere in the UK, at enormous cost to the British taxpayer, to ensure he could play golf in private.
Scottish police provided an exclusion zone around both of his courses that banned vehicles, pedestrians for miles from the gates – and even prohibited planes and drones from flying overhead.
Unfortunately for Trump, flying insects care not a bit about no-fly zones.
Today, he was warming up on the driving range of Trump International Links Aberdeen, while invited guests, politicians and golfing legends waited for him to cut the ribbon on the new course he’s had built.
But as he approached the tee, he began to jerk and wriggle, wafting his hands around his head in an erratic fashion.
Some of those observing him assumed he was just dancing. Perhaps to the music his team occasionally plays to shield him from shouted questions. Maybe just to the music in his head.
But no. His the source of his irritation, surely to be added to his incredibly long enemies list upon which he will surely have his revenge, was a simple Scottish wasp.
It’s probably the closest I’ve come to identifying with him. Wasps are evil and should all be exterminated.
Today’s brief excursion onto Trump’s second Scottish property was the closest most of the media came to the President whose visit has cost so much.
And even then, aside from a select few granted access to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, most reporters were held in a large tent with blacked out windows as he practiced his swing just a few metres away.
Eric Trump, introducing his dad, did his very best Alan Partridge impersonation while describing the new course.
“We had an unlimited budget,” he said. “And we exceeded it. This is his Mona Lisa.”
Trump, free of his insect attacker, said a few words before teeing off on the course proper – some of them nice ones about Keir Starmer and John Swinney.
And he said – shock horror – thanked the media, who he said were not “fake” this time around, but had been nice.
And in a tent with blacked out windows.