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Donald Trump Hails UK's 'Brexit' Vote
| Wall Street Journal | - |
TURNBERRY,
SCOTLAND—Donald Trump on Friday celebrated the U.K.'s vote to withdraw
from the European Union, saying on a visit to Scotland the day after
that he saw parallels between the so-called Brexit and his presidential
campaign message on ...
Donald Trump Hails U.K.’s ‘Brexit’ Vote
Presumptive Republican nominee says Americans will face a similar opportunity in the fall’s presidential election
Republican Donald Trump, visiting
Turnberry, Scotland, says the vote by the United Kingdom to withdraw
from the European Union is indicative of people seeking independence.
Photo: Getty Images
Mr. Trump, who had previously said he was in favor of the U.K. leaving the EU, said that leaving the 28-country bloc would strengthen the country.
“They’re not happy with the people flowing into the country,” Mr. Trump said during his first foreign trip since he became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. “We’re on the other side of the ocean, but the world is not so different.”
The Republican candidate said exiting the EU wouldn’t affect the U.K.’s special relationship with the U.S. if he were elected. “There’s never been a better ally,” he said.
ENLARGE
Presumptive Republican nominee for president Donald Trump arrives at his Trump Turnberry Resort on Friday in Ayr, Scotland.
Photo:
Getty Images
“If the pound goes down, they are going to do more business,” Mr. Trump said. “If the pound goes down, more people are coming to Turnberry.”
Suggesting he saw broader changes ahead for the EU, Mr. Trump said he knew many people leaving Germany because of waves of immigrants entering the country. He predicted the nationalist mood that drove the Brexit vote would surface elsewhere.
“People want to take their country back,’’ he said. “There are many other cases where they will want to take their borders back. You’re going to see that more and more... I love to see people take their country back.”
Asked if the vote would change the U.S. trade or diplomatic relationship, Mr. Trump said he would not renegotiate U.S.--U.K. trade deals and that the country would remain a “first call” in international diplomacy.
“First call or second call, they will be a very powerful call,” he said. “I think zero will change on that score.”
The Republican presidential candidate discussed the vote that has thrown Europe and world markets into turmoil only after spending 15 minutes discussing the details of his golf and hotel renovation. At one point, he suggested his success at the Turnberry golf course was a metaphor for what he could do as president, at a time when much of the country’s infrastructure was in need of repair.
“This is a little bit of what we are going to do to the U.S.,” he said. “It’s a place that needs to be fixed and there’s nobody who knows how to fix things like me.”
Responding to critics who say it is unseemly for him to be promoting his properties, businesses and brand from the stump, Mr. Trump said that his brand is probably being hurt more than helped by his campaign because it draws opposition in a polarized country.
“Half the crowd is hostile and half the crowd loves you,” he said. “For my brand this has not been a good thing.”
Some Republicans have criticized Mr. Trump’s two-day business trip to Scotland, the country of his mother’s birth, which concludes Saturday at another one of his golf resorts near Aberdeen. His campaign showed signs of flagging this week, as Mr. Trump fired his campaign manager and surveys and campaign finance filings showed he trailed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in both polling and fundraising.
And unlike recent major presidential candidates who met foreign leaders on international trips to burnish their diplomacy credentials, Mr. Trump is focused on visiting on his golf properties.
Separately, Mrs. Clinton said in a statement Friday that she respects the U.K.’s vote to leave the EU and that the first task for the U.S. must be to assure that the resulting economic uncertainty doesn’t hurt Americans.
After a heckler interrupted the start of Mr. Trump’s speech by showing reporters and Mr. Trump red, swastika-emblazoned golf balls, the presidential candidate launched into a speech about modifying the golf course by moving holes closer to the ocean.
“A lot of people think this will be the greatest par three anywhere in the world,” he said. He also spoke in detail about refurbishing the adjacent lighthouse and hotel.
Taking questions from the U.S. and foreign media, he defended his trip.
“You know why I’m here? Because I support my children.” said Mr. Trump, who credited his son Eric for renovating the resort he bought about 4½ years ago.
Write to Stu Woo at Stu.Woo@wsj.com and Janet Hook at janet.hook@wsj.com