Donald Trump says he has heard “great things” about John Swinney, but does not want to “get involved” in Britain’s domestic politics when asked about the First Minister’s push for another independence referendum.
The US President suggested a country “can’t go through that too much” when asked about the prospect of a second referendum on Scottish independence – mentioning a wait of more than 50 years between votes.
Mr Trump spoke to journalists at his Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire on Monday, alongside Sir Keir Starmer.
Later on Monday he is expected to meet First Minister and SNP leader Mr Swinney, with the pair holding more formal talks on Tuesday as Mr Trump prepares to open a new golf course in Aberdeenshire.
Mr Swinney had earlier been emphasising his party’s desire for a second vote on Scotland’s place in the UK, saying an SNP majority at next year’s elections should trigger another referendum.
At the press conference, Mr Trump said he had correctly predicted the result of the referendum in 2014, where 55% voted No to independence – but said “I don’t want to get involved in politics, we got enough politics of our own”.
The US President also referred to the suggestion that such a referendum could only take place once in a generation.
He told journalists: “When they made that deal, somebody that it was…
“I remember this very distinctly, I said ‘do they do this all the time?’
“There was a little bit of a restriction, like 50 or 75 years, before you could take another vote because, you know, a country can’t go through that too much.”
Mr Trump said he did not know Scottish First Minister John Swinney, but added: “I heard great things about him, and I’m meeting him today, so maybe I’ll have a better opinion.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer insisted Scotland was better-off within the UK.
The Prime Minister said: “I think that at a time like this when it’s quite clear that there’s uncertainty and volatility around the world, the strength of the United Kingdom together is very important for all four nations, very important for Scotland, and that should be our priority.”
Mr Swinney “should probably focus more” on delivery in Scotland than constitutional issues, Sir Keir added.
Earlier, Mr Swinney said the precedent set by the SNP’s 2011 election victory would break the “logjam” towards a second independence referendum.
The First Minister said there should be a “legal referendum recognised by all” on Scottish independence if the SNP secures a majority at the Holyrood elections.
Previously, he has said a “democratic majority” of pro-independence MSPs after next year’s Scottish Parliament elections should pave the way to a new vote on the constitutional question.
He spoke to journalists further at the Kelpies statues near Falkirk, saying: “The necessity of independence is absolutely paramount and we’ve got to make that case in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.
“But there’s a logjam and we’ve got to break that logjam.
“We demonstrated how we break the logjam in the past, by electing a majority of SNP MSPs in 2011, and that led to an independence referendum in 2014.”
Since the Brexit vote in 2016, repeated prime ministers have rebuffed the SNP’s calls for another Scottish independence referendum.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “John Swinney is like a broken record. In a bid to silence internal critics of his weak leadership, he has thrown diehard nationalists some more red meat on the one issue they all agree on: independence.
“Ordinary Scots are sick and tired of the SNP’s obsession with breaking up the UK.
“The public want John Swinney to focus on fixing the damage his Government has done in decimating essential services such as schools and the NHS at the same time as making Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This SNP Government has lost its way and ran out of ideas – while one in six Scots suffer on an NHS waiting list.
“Despite that, John Swinney can’t end his own obsession with division and today has confirmed he’ll put Scots second to appease his own party.
“From the crisis in our NHS to the violence in our schools, the SNP has left every institution in Scotland weaker.
“This is not as good as it gets and in 2026 Scotland will have a chance to put a stop to SNP decline and vote for a fresh start.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “At last year’s election the SNP took an almighty beating because people were tired of them obsessing over one issue. It seems like John Swinney is a glutton for punishment.
“Perhaps rather than focusing on what the SNP membership cares about, he should focus on what the country needs.”
