EDINBURGH, Scotland — President Donald Trump used his luxury golf course on Scotland's coast Monday to host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, mixing critical discussions on the deepening food crisis in Gaza, Russia's war in Ukraine and tariff rates with boasts about the property's opulence.
Trump often treated the sit-down as if he were back in the Oval Office, while also not missing the chance to talk up his Turnberry course — which enriches his family business.
When the prime minister and his wife, Victoria, arrived at Trump Turnberry, the Republican president spent several minutes chatting with them and proudly pointing out key sites around the property.
Starmer came determined to press the U.S. to take a larger role in helping quell what he called a "desperate situation" amid increasing reports of starvation in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war rages.
People are also reading…
President Donald Trump, center, speaks with the media Monday as he greets Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and his wife Victoria at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland.Â
Trump at first was focused on complaining about the U.S. not having gotten enough credit for previously providing food aid. He shifted tone when reporters questioned him about images of emaciated children from Gaza.
Asked if he agreed with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about concerns of mass starvation in Gaza being overstated, he replied, "I don't know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry."
Starmer immediately was far more forceful: "I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they are seeing on their screens."
The president later shifted his tone dramatically and suggested a major recalibration of U.S. policy toward the territory, suggesting that Israel "has a lot of responsibility" for what's happening.
"I think Israel can do a lot," Trump said. He claimed when next speaking to Netanyahu, he'd insist, "I want them to make sure they get the food," noting that the U.S. and others are giving money and food to Gaza and that Netanyahu has "got to, sort of, like, run it."
President Donald Trump speaks with the media Monday during an official greeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland.Â
Golf courses
After their meeting, Starmer flew with Trump aboard Air Force One to outside Aberdeen, where the president’s family has a second golf course and is holding a ribbon-cutting for a third Tuesday.Â
Demonstrators protested in Balmedie, a village close to the golf course. One of them, Jean Abbot, a 67-year-old retired legal professional, accused Trump of being in "the process of dismantling Western civilization."
"He is trashing what two generations of our people have fought wars to preserve, namely democracy and freedom and the rule of law," Abbott said.
That followed protests across Scotland on Saturday decrying the president's visit as he golfed.
The president talked at length Monday about how he spent money lavishly to upgrade the historic Turnberry course after he bought in 2014, declaring, "If you take a look at the windows in the various dining rooms, they're magnificent."
Starmer said he was excited to "see this amazing golf course" while promising Trump, "I'll invite you to a football ground at some stage."
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrive Monday at Trump International Golf Links, near Aberdeen, Scotland.Â
±«°ì°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ðÌý
Britain, along with France and Germany, criticizes Israel for "withholding essential humanitarian assistance" in Gaza as hunger spreads. Over the weekend, Starmer said Britain will take part in efforts led by Jordan to airdrop aid into Gaza after Israel temporarily eased restrictions.
Starmer also is under pressure from his Labour Party lawmakers to follow France in recognizing a Palestinian state, a move Israel and the U.S. previously condemned.
Trump said Monday of the prime minister potentially doing so, "I don't mind him taking a position." Starmer has said the U.K. supports statehood for the Palestinians but it must be "part of a wider plan" for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Trump and Starmer also talked about a possible peace deal to end fighting in Russia's war with Ukraine, particularly trying to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table within a 50-day window Trump set earlier this month.
The president said he wants to announce a new window to halt the fighting of just 10 or 12 days, saying there is "no reason in waiting."
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that people in Britain are “revolted†by images of starving Gazans during a visit to Scotland by President Donald Trump.
Like being at the White House
As the leaders took more than an hour of reporters' questions, their sit-down at times played out like Trump's meetings with foreign leaders in the Oval Office. There, he fields multiple questions while his guest mostly sits quietly — even though this meeting took place in Starmer's U.K.
Trump batted away persistent inquiries about the Jeffrey Epstein case and recapped his push for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. He also repeated his longstanding grudge against wind farms — which he sued unsuccessfully to get removed from near his golf course in the Aberdeen area.
At another point, Trump criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan by saying "he's done a terrible job" and he's a "nasty person."
Starmer jumped in with a chuckle: "He's a friend of mine, actually."
They also talked about refining a bilateral trade agreement they announced last month, though there are still sticking points around steel imports.
The meeting followed Trump sitting down after golfing on Sunday with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. They announced a trade framework that will put 15% tariffs on most goods from both countries, though many major details remain pending.
Photos: Notable deaths in 2025
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones' greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied, died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. She was 78.
Dick Button
Figure skating great and authoritative commentator Dick Button, who was the winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. He was 95.Â
Barbie Hsu
Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama “Meteor Garden†that once swept Asia, died Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, after contracting pneumonia triggered by the flu. She was 48.
Irv Gotti
Irv Gotti, the boisterous, smiley music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists, died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. He was 54.Â
Tony Roberts
Tony Roberts, a versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in both plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies — often as Allen's best friend — died Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. He was 85.
Paquita la del Barrio
Mexican musical legend Paquita la del Barrio, known for her powerful voice and fierce defense of women, died at her home in Veracruz early Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. She was 77.
Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer of the 1960s and after whose rich, intimate baritone graced such hits as "For Your Precious Love," "Only the Strong Survive" and "Make It Easy On Yourself," died Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. He was 85.
Voletta Wallace
Voletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late great rapper The Notorious B.I.G. and protector of his legacy, died Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. She was 78.
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday, Fe. 24, 2025. She was 88.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy†hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer†and “Gossip Girl†— died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. She was 39.Â
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa
Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife, 65-year-old concert pianist Betsy Arakawa, at their home in February. He was 95.
David Johansen
David Johansen, the wiry, gravelly-voiced singer and last surviving member of the glam and protopunk band the New York Dolls who later performed as his campy, pompadoured alter ego, Buster Poindexter, died Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. He was 75.
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine†that has been sampled by such R&B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube, died Tuesday, March 4. He was 84.
Pamela Bach
Pamela Bach, an actor and the ex-wife of “Baywatch†star David Hasselhoff, died Wednesday, March 5. She was 62.
John Feinstein
John Feinstein, one of the country's foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, including the groundbreaking “A Season on the Brink†about college basketball coach Bob Knight, died unexpectedly Thursday, March 13. He was 69.
Émilie Dequenne
Émilie Dequenne, the Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in “Rosetta,†died Sunday, March 16, of a rare cancer in a hospital outside of Paris. She was 43.
Kitty Dukakis
Kitty Dukakis, the wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who spoke openly about her struggles with depression and addiction, died Friday, March 21. She was 88.
Mia Love
Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love of Utah, a daughter of Haitian immigrants who became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died Sunday, March 23. She was 49.
Denis Arndt
Denis Arndt, a character actor and favorite of TV writer and producer David E. Kelley, getting cast in “L.A. Law,†“Picket Fences†and “Chicago Hope,†and later earning a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut at age 77 in a play about mismatched lovers, died March 25. He was 86.
Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series "Dr. Kildare" who found a second career as an award-winning "king of the miniseries," died Saturday, March 29. He was 90.
Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in “Top Gun,†donned a voluminous cape as Batman in “Batman Forever†and portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors,†died April 1. He was 65.
Wink Martindale
Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit†and “Tic-Tac-Dough†who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley, died April 15. He was 91.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humility and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives over climate change and critiques of capitalism, died April 21. He was 88.
Steve McMichael
Steve McMichael, a star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team, died April 23 following a battle with ALS. He was 67.
Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In†and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, died May 1. She was 88.
Jim Dent
Jim Dent, who grew up in the caddie yards of Augusta, Georgia, and went on to become one of the PGA Tour's longest hitters and one of the top Black golfers of his generation, died May 2. He was 85.
James Foley
James Foley, a journeyman director best known for “Glengarry Glen Ross,†died May 6. He was 71.Â
David H. Souter
Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, died May 8. He was 85.
Johnny Rodriguez
Country music star Johnny Rodriguez, a popular Mexican American singer best known for chart-topping hits in the 1970s such as “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,†“Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico†and “That’s the Way Love Goes,†died May 9. He was 73.
Robert Benton
Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning filmmaker who helped reset the rules in Hollywood as the co-creator of "Bonnie and Clyde," and later received mainstream validation as the writer-director of "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Places in the Heart," died May 11. He was 92.
Charles Strouse
Three-time Tony Award-winner Charles Strouse, Broadway's industrious, master melody-maker who composed the music for such classic musical theater hits as "Annie," "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Applause," died May 14. He was 96.
George Wendt
George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers†and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,†“Hairspray†and “Elf,†died May 20. He was 76.
Jim Irsay
Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts’ owner who leveraged the popularity of Peyton Manning into a new stadium and a Super Bowl title, died May 21 at age 65.Â
Dave Shapiro
Dave Shapiro, a groundbreaking music executive in the heavy metal and hard rock scene, died May 22 in a San Diego plane crash. He was 42.
Marcel Ophuls
Marcel Ophuls, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker whose landmark 1969 documentary “The Sorrow and the Pity†shattered the comforting myth that most of France had resisted the Nazis during World War II, died May 24. He was 97.
Phil Robertson
Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman's paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died May 25, according to his family. He was 79.
Rick Derringer
Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded “Hang On Sloopy,†had a hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo†and earned a Grammy Award for producing “Weird Al †Yankovic's debut album, died May 26. He was 77.
Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series “M.A.S.H.,†died May 30 at her New York City home, likely from natural causes, publicist Harlan Boll said. She was 87.
Jonathan Joss
Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series "King of the Hill," was fatally shot near his Texas home June 2. He was 59.
Sly Stone
Sly Stone, the revolutionary musician and dynamic showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and ’70s and beyond with such hits as “Everyday People,†“Stand!†and “Family Affair,†died June 9. He was 82
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader who helped compose and arrange “Good Vibrations,†“California Girls†and dozens of other summertime anthems and became one of the world’s most influential and admired musicians, died June 11. He was 82.
Anne Burrell
TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of “Worst Cooks in America,†died June 17 at her New York home. She was 55.
Jimmy Swaggart
Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who became a household name amassing an enormous following and multimillion-dollar ministry only to be undone by his penchant for prostitutes, died July 1. He was 90.
Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including “Reservoir Dogs†and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2,†died July 3. He was 67.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who as teenage son Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show†was central to a cultural phenomenon that helped define the 1980s, died July 20 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. He was 54.
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died July 22, just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76.
