Trump's Scotland Golf Trip and Celebrity Prosecution Demands

Patrick Gutfield breaks down Trump's Scotland golf course opening, Qatar jet controversy, and demands to prosecute celebrities over campaign payments. Scottish newspaper calls someone a "convicted US felon" as business and politics collide.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calaruga Shark media from Scotland, where it's time to release
the Epstein files. This is Ballots. The Scottish newspaper, The
Nationals front page read convicted US felon to arrive in Scotland.
Let's hit this. I'm Patrick Gutfield and President Trump was
in Scotland this weekend for what the White House is

(00:24):
calling a working visit. And by working visit they mean
he was opening a second golf course at his Scottish resort,
while occasionally meeting with world leaders between rounds. That's like
calling your vacation to Vegas a business conference because you
attended one meeting at the hotel bar, or hosting your
snarky podcast from the new Caloroga Hampton Studios. Trump visited

(00:46):
both of his Scottish golf properties, Trump Turnberry and Trump
International Scotland in Aberdeenshire, where he's participating in a ribbon
cutting ceremony for his new eighteen hole golf course. A
ribbon cutting ceremony. Nothing says presidential diplomacy like wielding giant
scissors while wearing golf fleets. The new course is called
the McCloud Course, named after Trump's mother, Mary Anne. Macloud,

(01:09):
who was born in Scotland in nineteen twelve, which means
Trump is the daughter of a foreigner. This Scotland trip
is just the latest example of Trump mixing presidential duties
with personal business. In his first term, Democrats complained about
his Washington hotel becoming a popular destination for foreign delegations
looking to spend money back then, the blowback was so

(01:29):
strong that Trump scrapped plans to host a G seven
meeting at his dooral resort in Florida. But apparently in
his second term, Trump has decided subtlety is overrated, and
Trump's business ventures have exploded since returning to office. According
to his financial disclosure documents, he made over one point
three million dollars from Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA Bible.

(01:52):
That's a lot of money for a book that already exists.
He also made two point five million from Trump sneakers
and fragrances, two point eight million selling Trump watches, and
over one million on a forty five guitar. Then there's
the Qatar situation. Trump accepted a Luxury seven to forty
seven jet from Qatar as a gift to use as

(02:13):
Air Force one when critics called this a blatant attempt
by Katar to curry favor and possibly violate the Constitution's
Foreign Emolument's clause. Trump's response was classic. I would never
be one to turn down that kind of an offer.
I mean, I could be a stupid person say no,
we don't want a free, very expensive airplane. Trump's businesses

(02:35):
have also expanded internationally. CNN reported that the Trump family's
Middle East business ties have more than tripled since his
first term. He's partnered with Leave Golf, the professional tour
bankrolled by Saudi Arabia, and has multiple licensing deals with
foreign developers who pay to use the Trump name. One
of those projects is a Trump branded golf course in Qatar,

(02:57):
the same Qutar that gave him the free air plane.
So let me get this straight. Katar gives Trump a
plane and then Trump licenses his name for a golf
course in Qatar. That's not international diplomacy. That's a really
expensive game of you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

(03:18):
President Trump is having what can only be described as
a truth social meltdown, demanding that Kamala Harris, Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey,
and al Sharpton all be prosecuted for campaign payments during
the twenty twenty four election. And when I say meltdown,
I mean the kind where you're posting in all caps
like you just discovered the internet. Trump posted on truth

(03:38):
Social and yes that's still a thing, claiming that paying
celebrities for campaign appearances is totally illegal, which is interesting
legal theory from a man who once paid a porn
star one hundred and thirty thousand dollars to not talk
about their alleged encounter. But apparently, when Democrats pay celebrities,
that's illegal. When Republicans pay people to stay quiet, that's

(03:59):
just good business. According to Trump's latest grievance, Harris's campaign
paid Beyonce eleven million dollars for an endorsement where she
never sang, not one note and left the stage to
a booing and angry audience. Eleven million dollars. That's more
than some countries spend on their entire military budget. And
apparently it was also Beyonce could show up, not sing

(04:20):
and disappoint people. That's like paying Leonardo DiCaprio eleven million
dollars to not paint anything. But here's where this gets
really entertaining. Trump has been making these same accusations since
last December, but every time he tells the story, the
numbers change. In December, he said it was eleven million,
two million, and five hundred thousand dollars. In his latest post,

(04:44):
he's claiming it was eleven million, three million, and six
hundred thousand dollars. Either Trump has a very creative relationship
with math, or inflation is hitting celebrity appearance fees harder
than anyone thought. The actual reported payments were much smaller.
Yonce's production company got one hundred and sixty five thousand dollars,
Oprah's company received one million dollars, and Al Sharpton's organization

(05:07):
got five hundred thousand dollars. But why let facts get
in the way of a good rant. Trump's version has
more zeros, which makes it sound scarier, like when restaurants
describe their burgers as having one thousand island dressing instead
of just saying special sauce. Trump's post continued with his
assessment of these celebrities. He called al Sharpton a very

(05:29):
low rated TV anchor and a total lightweight, which is
rich coming from someone whose own TV show got canceled
and whose social media platform has fewer users than a
small town book club. Hey, it takes a nineteen eighties
era in New York City grifter to no one. It's
like a magician not being impressed by a fellow magician.
The best part of Trump's argument is his claim that

(05:52):
can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying
for people to endorse them. All hell would break out,
All hell would be breakout, as opposed to the current
situation where politics is known for its calm, rational discourse
and politicians never spend money trying to influence public opinion.
Portions of today's program were made with the help of
a convicted felon, the Epstein Files and AI