Donald Trump is having a rough week. So far, he's lost his campaign manager, been obscenely outmatched in fundraising, plunged in the polls, and, to top it all off, he is now being accused of making up his "generous" persona. And it's not even Friday yet.
So what's a billionaire to do? Make haste to Scotland, apparently — even if he's not exactly welcome there.
Trump's absence from the campaign trail is an alarming sign to Republicans who have wondered if Trump puts his business interests first, or at least is too distracted by them during this volatile season. This is Trump's first international trip since he became the presumptive Republican nominee — and he's going to check on his golf courses.
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"I'm not sure what the purpose of this trip is," Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told The Associated Press.
Trump's son, Eric, oversaw the expensive renovation of the Trump Turnberry Golf Course and explained that the elder Trump is "over there to inspect the course and to support his son, who put a tremendous amount of time and energy into the project." In the past, party nominees have visited global leaders abroad — Romney spoke with British Prime Minister David Cameron while on the trail in 2012, Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2008. But despite being in the UK for the Brexit vote, Trump has no plans to meet with any politicians.
The chair of the Republican Party in New York stood up for Trump's decision. "The general election doesn't really start until the convention next month," Ed Cox said.
