US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has claimed immigration is “killing Europe” as he visits Scotland for four days.
Speaking to reporters after landing at Prestwick airport on Friday evening, Trump reportedly said that Europe is facing a “horrible invasion” and that he has “shut down” immigration to the US since he became president for a second term.
Trump reportedly said to reporters standing in front of Air Force One: “On immigration, you better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore. You got to get your act together.
“You know, last month, we had nobody entering our country. Nobody. Shut it down.”
Referring, Joe Biden, Trump added: “We took out a lot of bad people that got there with Biden.
“Biden was a total stiff. And what he allowed to happen, but you’re allowing it to happen to your countries.
“You got to stop this horrible invasion that’s happening to Europe. Many countries in Europe.
“Some people, some leaders have not let it happen. And they’re not getting the proper credit they should.
“I could name them to you right now, but I’m not going to embarrass the other ones. But stop. This immigration is killing Europe.”
The latest available statistics show that net migration to the UK fell to 431,000 in 2024, down almost 50% from 2023.
The US President’s comments come at the start of his trip to Scotland, where he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, First Minister John Swinney and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
Trump was spotted on Saturday morning playing golf at his Turnberry course in Ayrshire.
The Republican leader said that he “loves standing on the soil of Scotland” after landing in the country last night, according to the Scottish Secretary.
Ian Murray told the PA news agency what the US President’s first words were after disembarking from Air Force One in Prestwick.
The UK Government minister was the first person to greet the president in Scotland as he began his visit to the country.
Speaking after meeting the American leader, Murray told PA: “The president came off the flight, and I said, ‘Mr president, welcome to Scotland – the home country of your dear mother’, and he said, ‘It’s great to be here, I always love standing on the soil of Scotland’.
“I said, ‘I hope you’re looking forward to a bit of downtime with some golf this weekend’, and he said, ‘Yes’. And I said, ‘Well, we’ve whipped up a bit of a wind for you to make it a bit more competitive’, and he went, ‘I’m looking forward to it’.”
