John Swinney has congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as president and pledged the relationship between Scotland and the US will continue to “flourish”.
Scotland’s First Minister shared a message to America’s new Commander-in-Chief shortly after he was sworn-in for a second term at a ceremony in Washington DC.
Trump, whose mother famously emigrated to New York from the Isle of Harris, has strong business and family links with Scotland. The 47th President of the United States is expected to visit the country later this year.
In a statement, Swinney said: “I congratulate Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.We greatly appreciate the strong and lasting social, cultural and economic ties Scotland has with the United States.
“The Scottish Government will work to ensure these ties continue to flourish, according to the values shared by both of our countries.”
The SNP leader previously spoke with Trump on the telephone in the days after his election in November last year.
It comes after fears were raised that Trump’s economic policies could prove damaging in the long-term for the Scottish economy.
The US President confirmed in his inauguration speech today he would slap tariffs on imports to the US with the creation of a “external revenues service”.
Experts have warned this could hammer key Scottish exports such as whisky.
Scottish politicians have taken different approaches over how to deal with Trump’s second term.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, said: “Donald Trump returning to the White House will be deeply worrying for millions of people in the UK and around the world. With a President who promises trade wars, undermines NATO and praises Vladimir Putin, the threats to our national security and our economy are clear.
“The UK must lead on the world stage again, standing up for our interests by working closely with other countries – above all our European neighbours.
“We need to make sure that Ukraine has the weapons it needs to carry on defending its territory and protecting the whole European continent.
“The threat of tariffs could cause real damage to our economy and have a particular impact on our whisky industry. If some kind of trade war with America is now a realistic short-term possibility then we must, as a matter of urgency, negotiate a brand-new Customs Union deal to cut red tape and boost British businesses.
“My party will press the UK Government to be far more ambitious and positive in fixing our relationship with Europe, to strengthen Britain’s hand when it comes to dealing with Trump.”
Lorna Slater, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, branded Trump’s return to power a “dark day”. The environmentalists have previously called on Swinney to turn down any invite to meet with Trump – a call the First Minister has rejected.
Slater said: “This is a dark day. Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our climate and to human rights around the world. The politics that he represents are the exact opposite of everything that Scotland should stand for.
“He was elected on a promise of mass deportations and attacks on the most marginalised people. The last time he was in office he introduced racist anti-Muslim laws and showed a total disregard for our environment and for reproductive rights.
“The US government has the power to wipe out poverty, and ensure every one of their citizens has access to free healthcare, good rewarding jobs and stability, but Donald Trump won’t do any of that.
“He has never stood up for normal people, and is firmly on the side of the billionaire class and the fossil fuel industry.
Slater added: “Our world can be a far fairer, greener and better place. We can end poverty and protect our planet from climate breakdown.
“There are millions of people across the US who will be concerned about what Donald Trump and his administration will do with their rights. Those are the people who we should be standing in solidarity with today.”
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