Trump lashes out as reporter says he seems to be in a 'good mood' after golf: 'I'm actually not'
TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND: President Donald Trump wasn’t exactly beaming on Sunday, July 27, and it wasn’t because his golf swing was off.
During a press conference that doubled as a photo op at his Turnberry resort in Scotland, Trump sat alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when a reporter tossed him what should’ve been a softball.
“You seem to be in quite a good mood,” the reporter said at the 2:24 point.
“I’m actually not in a good mood,” Trump shot back.
Another journalist tried to get to the bottom of it. “Can I ask why you’re in a bad mood? Was it a bad morning of golf, or why you’re not in a good mood?” they asked.
“No, the golf was beautiful,” he insisted. “Golf can never be bad. Even if you play badly, it’s still good. If you have a bad day on the golf course, it’s OK.”
Then he switched gears. “I look forward to this meeting,” he said. “We’ve had a hard time with trade with Europe. Very hard time. And I’d like to see it resolved.”
Donald Trump faces sporadic protests but seals major deal with EU
Of course, the bad mood might not have been so much about golf or even EU trade. Behind the scenes, Trump was reportedly fuming over how his administration had bungled the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
That didn’t stop him from squeezing in two full days of tee time on Saturday and Sunday at Turnberry, his beloved luxury course perched on Scotland’s West Coast.
But not everyone was rolling out the red carpet. Despite Scotland being the homeland of his mother, Trump didn’t exactly get the royal treatment. A handful of protestors made sure their voice was heard throughout the weekend.
Still, his spirits may have picked up just a hair thanks to a fresh trade deal inked with von der Leyen and the EU. The framework set a 15% baseline tariff on most goods, effectively dodging an imminent trade war. Even better, it featured major European commitments to buy American energy and invest in US industries, just ahead of an August 1 tariff deadline.
“We have a deal. We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it’s a big deal, it’s a huge deal,” von der Leyen declared.
Meanwhile, Trump called it “the biggest of all the deals.”
The former real estate mogul turned president also took the opportunity to gloat a little about his property portfolio, which includes Turnberry.
From trade talks to bagpipes and ballrooms
Ursula von der Leyen was the latest guest star in Trump’s brand of so-called “golf diplomacy.” The EU head joined the president at Turnberry’s opulent new ballroom to announce the trade breakthrough.
Some critics in Europe are already crying foul, calling it a Brussels sellout. But Trump had no qualms about showing off his dreamy new ballroom, pointing proudly to the gold-trimmed setting.
“This just opened ... (a) relatively short time ago, and it's been quite the success,” Trump told von der Leyen. “It's an honor to have you at the new ballroom at Turnberry,” he added.
Trump bought the iconic course on Scotland’s southwestern coast back in 2014. Since ascending to the Oval Office, all of his assets—including Turnberry—have been tucked into a holding company run by his sons.
The Trump clan has long dreamed of bringing the British Open back to Turnberry. The major men’s golf championship hasn’t been held there since 2009, well before Trump took over.
Keir Starmer meets Donald Trump
On Monday, the President welcomed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the resort to talk trade and international affairs. Their conversation was initially drowned out by a dramatic flourish of Scottish bagpipes.
Starmer gushed, “Fantastic to be here, thank you for your hospitality, and to see this amazing golf course.”
He added, “I’ll invite you to a football ground at some stage, we can exchange sports."
Trump later gave Starmer the grand tour, and during a winding press conference, regaled the PM with tales about using local Scottish tradesmen to restore the ballroom’s roof and massive windows.
