Donald Trump: Nicola Sturgeon was ‘terrible’ first minister

Nicola Sturgeon was a “terrible” first minister who he “didn’t have a lot of respect for”, President Donald Trump said as he departed Scotland.

In response, the former first minister posted on social media that the “feeling was mutual”.

The president is flying back to the United States after spending the last few days in Scotland visiting his golf courses.

While it was not an official state visit, he did meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney, who he said was “doing a very good job”.

Swinney attended a dinner with Trump on Monday evening and had a short meeting with him on Tuesday morning, at which the Scottish Government said he raised “economic protections” for key Scottish exports as well as the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One about dropping tariffs on Scotch whisky, the president said the pair “really didn’t discuss it much”.

He added: “But I have a lot of respect for him. And I didn’t have a lot of respect for the woman that preceded him, I thought she was terrible as a first minister of Scotland. But I think John is doing a very good job as first minister.”

The comments were unprompted.

Sturgeon, who was first minister for over eight years, stood down in February 2023.

Responding on her Instagram, she said: “Feeling was mutual, Donnie. Forever proud to represent all the things that offend your view of the world.”

She has previously been highly critical of the Republican politician, dubbing some of his behaviour as “abhorrent”.

When he left office in January 2021, having lost the election the previous November, she said most Scots would be “very happy to say cheerio” and in a message to him, added: “Don't haste ye back.”

When she resigned two years later, he said in a statement: “Good riddance to failed woke extremist Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland! This crazed leftist symbolises everything wrong with identity politics.”