It's been a wild four years covering Trump. Now seems a good time for a thread on some of my stories.
First up, how Trump repeatedly tried & failed to convince a Scottish bank to lend him £38m for a failed hotel venture, while claiming he had £1bn in cash https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/donald-trump-st-andrews-us-presidents-secret-attempts-buy-landmark-hotel-2509740
First up, how Trump repeatedly tried & failed to convince a Scottish bank to lend him £38m for a failed hotel venture, while claiming he had £1bn in cash https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/donald-trump-st-andrews-us-presidents-secret-attempts-buy-landmark-hotel-2509740
2/ How Trump's Turnberry resort was paid £52,000+ by the US government as he made a private visit to play multiple rounds of golf, and watch World Cup football matches in his room: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/donald-trumps-turnberry-firm-paid-aps50000-us-government-weekend-visit-1427952
3/ Wealthy Russian & US clients couldn't save Trump's Scottish helicopter charter firm. Pilots had to cover up the aircraft's TRUMP signage as his brand grew increasingly toxic. The venture was eventually liquidated, with the chopper shipped to the US https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/donald-trumps-luxury-helicopter-charter-plans-fail-take-1407373
4/ After a three year battle to get a disclosure to my FOIA requests, I eventually got hold of Secret Service documents detailing the £25k+ bill for protecting Trump's son and daughter in law on their sojourns to his Scottish resorts. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/revealed-secret-service-paid-donald-trumps-resort-nearly-ps25000-sons-business-trips-3057597
5/ How Trump’s Turnberry firm is paying £100 a month to a UK government body to lease buildings at its world famous lighthouse, while charging guests £1,400 a night to stay at its gold and marble encrusted luxury suite. https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/uk-accused-sweetheart-deal-donald-trump-over-turnberry-lighthouse-1416443
6/ An analysis from November on how Trump's private firms have benefited from his public office, with his Scottish corporations receiving approx a quarter of a million pounds from US taxpayers (two months on, the figure is now £300k+ and rising). https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/donald-trumps-scottish-resorts-have-been-paid-around-ps250000-his-government-bill-could-be-higher-3020837
7/ How state-owned Prestwick Airport waived service fees for inbound US military aircraft as part of an alleged practice designed to increase traffic. The Pentagon has paid Trump Turnberry at least £150k to billet personnel on stopovers at the airport. https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/prestwick-airport-waiving-fees-us-military-aircraft-1406067
8/ I got hold of documents prepared by Trump's lawyers as part of an obscure legal dispute. They forensically detailed a drastic downturn in visitors and members at his flagship international property since he took up office. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/revealed-blow-trump-organisation-obscure-legal-fight-member-numbers-fall-turnberry-2260444
9/ I found out about the Trump Org's unannounced plans for a major expansion of Turnberry with a Florida style "coastal retreat," part of its ongoing major investment push in Scotland, despite having run up £50m+ in losses and £150m+ in debts. https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/revealed-trump-plans-build-new-world-class-coastal-retreat-scotland-2910997
10/ How Woody Johnson, the billionaire US ambassador to the UK, and owner of the New York Jets, ran up a bill to US taxpayers totalling more than £1,000 in a single day while staying at Trump’s Turnberry property. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/exclusive-taxpayers-pick-tab-billionaire-us-ambassadors-stay-donald-trumps-scottish-resort-2996147
11/ My undercover report on a senior Trump Org executive's talk at an evangelical church, discussing the Trump family's frustration at being unable to pursue "foreign investment" deals while its patriarch held the office of POTUS. https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/trumps-frustrated-inability-pursue-foreign-investment-deals-says-trump-org-executive-1404182
12/ And to bookend things, my column in tomorrow's paper on the end of Trump (spoiler: an end to the symptom, not the cause).
Thanks for reading, there'll be more to come, and if you have tips or info you think I ought to know about, my DMs are open. https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/joe-biden-has-much-do-after-donald-trumps-proof-concept-white-nationalism-path-power-america-martyn-mclaughlin-3105471
Thanks for reading, there'll be more to come, and if you have tips or info you think I ought to know about, my DMs are open. https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/joe-biden-has-much-do-after-donald-trumps-proof-concept-white-nationalism-path-power-america-martyn-mclaughlin-3105471