Nicola Sturgeon has urged Donald Trump to prove that he can act for all US citizens regardless of their heritage after his surprise victory in the US presidential elections.
The US presidential result has particular resonance in Scotland, where Trump’s heaviest overseas spending has taken place on two prominent golf resorts, in Aberdeenshire and in Ayrshire, where he bought the Turnberry Open championship venue in 2014.
Echoing other Scottish party leaders’ misgivings about the result, the first minister said many US voters and others around the world would feel “a real sense of anxiety” which went beyond the normal disappointment of defeat.
“I hope the president-elect will take the opportunity to reach out to those who felt marginalised by his campaign and make clear – in deeds as well as words – that he will be a president for everyone in modern, multicultural America,” Sturgeon said.
“Today must also be a moment for those who share progressive values – all of us who believe in tolerance and diversity – to speak up loudly and clearly for the values we hold dear.”
Trump found himself embroiled in his most intense conflicts with a foreign government in Scotland after immersing himself in a bitter feud with Alex Salmond, his former ally and Sturgeon’s predecessor as first minister, over Scotland’s heavy investments in renewable energy.
Offering Trump qualified congratulations on his win, Sturgeon joined with Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, and Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, in paying tribute to the defeated Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.
“Her candidacy represented a major step forward for women in America and across the world – for that, as well as for her many years of public service, she is owed a deep debt of gratitude,” Sturgeon said.
Dugdale, who last week spent several days in the US campaigning for Clinton, went further than Sturgeon, attacking Trump for his conduct and behaviour. “Today is a dark day for those of us who believe in compassion, tolerance and equality,” she said.
Salmond gave his personal blessing to Trump’s Aberdeenshire course despite widespread opposition and hostility because of its impact on a legally protected coastal nature reserve.
After promising to invest £1bn by building a substantial sports and holiday resort, the tycoon has spent £30m there and clashed repeatedly with his neighbours. He fell out with Salmond after lodging repeated legal challenges to an offshore windfarm backed by the former SNP leader, and a major onshore project in Shetland.
Both Sturgeon and Salmond have since lambasted Trump. After he attacked Mexicans and Muslims last year, Sturgeon rescinded his honorary role as a Scottish business ambassador and described his rhetoric as “obnoxious and offensive”. Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen has rescinded his honorary doctorate.
And in September, Salmond described Trump as an emotionally stunted manchild who presented “a real and present danger to the security of the American republic”. Salmond and other SNP MPs also signed a petition started by Scottish campaigners to ban Trump from entering the UK.
