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Amid Travel Rumors, Scottish Minister Says Trump Would Not Be Welcome In Country Due To COVID-19 Restrictions

WH spox: "This is not accurate. President Trump has no plans to travel to Scotland"

   DailyWire.com
US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on January 14, 2019. - Trump is heading to New Orleans, Louisiana to address the annual American Farm Bureau Federation convention. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Reports have emerged that President Trump may be planning to travel to his golf resort in Scotland the day before the presidential election, but one top Scottish official says he’s not welcome there.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was asked during a press conference on Tuesday about unconfirmed Scottish media speculation that Trump might travel there on Jan. 19. She answered that with the country’s current COVD-19 lockdown, it is illegal to travel in or out of the country without a valid reason, The Independent reported.

“Coming to play golf is not what I would consider to be an essential purpose,” Sturgeon said.

Asked about speculation that Trump may travel to Scotland before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, Sturgeon told the paper: “I have no idea what Donald Trump’s travel plans are, you’ll be glad to know.  ”

She added that she hopes that “the travel plan immediately that he has is to exit the White House.”

“But beyond that I don’t know.  We are not allowing people to come in to Scotland without an essential purpose right now and that would apply to him, just as it applies to anybody else,” she said.

A new report out of the United Kingdom says Trump may be planning to take a trip to Scotland. “Prestwick airport has been told to expect the arrival of a US military Boeing 757 aircraft, that is occasionally used by Trump, on January 19 – the day before his Democratic rival takes charge at the White House,” The Sunday Post reported.

Speculation surrounding Trump’s plans has been fuelled by the activity of US Army aircraft, which were based at Prestwick airport for a week and said to be carrying out 3D reconnaissance of the president’s Turnberry resort.

Sources at Prestwick said two US military surveillance aircraft were circling Turnberry in November, using the Ayrshire aviation hub as a base. US media has reported that Trump will break with tradition and snub the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, instead announcing a re-election bid on Air Force One.

But a White House spokesman has shot down the high-flying rumor. “Anonymous sources who claim to know what the President is or is not considering have no idea. When President Trump has an announcement about his plans for Jan. 20. he will let you know,” Judd Deere, the deputy White House press secretary, told Fox News in a statement.

Later on Tuesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany dismissed the speculation as incorrect. “This is not accurate. President Trump has no plans to travel to Scotland,” McEnany told CNN in a statement.

On Monday, Sturgeon ordered most of Scotland into a strict new lockdown for the rest of January, the network said. “The order imposes a legal requirement on Scottish residents to stay at home except for essential purpose, including caring responsibilities, essential shopping, essential exercise and being part of an extended household.”

Still, the Post pointed to activity at the airport that involves U.S. military aircraft. “Presidential flights tend to get booked far in advance, because of the work that has to be done around it,” a source told the outlet. “There is a booking for an American military version of the Boeing 757 on January 19, the day before the inauguration. That’s one that’s normally used by the Vice-President but often used by the First Lady.”

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