President Donald Trump touched down in Scotland late Friday for a working visit that includes high-level talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and stops at his golf resorts in Turnberry and Aberdeen.
Before departing, Trump confirmed the meeting with Starmer would focus on refining the major U.S.-U.K. trade agreement finalized earlier this year following his administration’s sweeping tariff rollout on April 2.
“We’re meeting with the prime minister tonight,” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to be talking about the trade deal that we made, and maybe even improve it. We want to fine-tune some parts that will benefit both countries.”
Trump praised Starmer’s leadership and signaled a warm rapport. “He’s doing a very good job, this prime minister. Good guy. The U.K. tried for over a decade to get a deal done — we made it happen,” Trump said. “We’ll also celebrate a bit.”
The visit marks Trump’s first international trip since finalizing the post-Liberation Day trade framework, which restructured America’s global economic partnerships and imposed tariffs at varying rates on several foreign competitors.
Trump Tours Federal Reserve, Slams Powell Over $2.5 Billion Renovation
On Thursday, Trump visited the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters for the first time since renovations began on the historic building — a $2.5 billion overhaul that has drawn sharp criticism from the president and some members of Congress.
Speaking after the tour, Trump didn’t hold back: “I think [Powell] is terrible … I didn’t see him as a guy who needed a palace to live in,” he said. “Spending two and a half billion dollars to add a little wing onto the Fed? I think that’s a fireable offense.”
Despite their frequent public clashes, Trump said Thursday’s meeting with Fed Chair Jerome Powell was “good” and dismissed rumors he planned to replace Powell. “No tension,” Trump said. “We had a conversation. That’s it.”
Trump has long criticized Powell over interest rate decisions, often mocking him publicly and accusing him of being too slow to act. “I’d love him to lower interest rates, but other than that, what can I tell you?” he said.
Trump Signs $9 Billion Rescissions Package Targeting Foreign Aid, Public Broadcasting
Also on Thursday, President Trump signed a sweeping $9 billion rescissions package that pulls back previously approved federal spending — with sharp cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting.
The package eliminates nearly $8 billion in funding designated for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has long provided economic assistance to developing nations. Another $1 billion was slashed from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the main federal backer of NPR and PBS.
Trump framed the move as part of a broader push to rein in unnecessary spending and prioritize domestic interests. “We’re done wasting billions on programs that don’t serve the American people,” he said.
