Here’s how much Donald Trump’s recent visit to Scotland cost taxpayers

By Martyn McLaughlin via SWNS

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Scotland cost taxpayers £60,000 ($74,421) – with the public paying for police officers to stand guard while he played golf.

Trump, 76, now a convicted sex offender, spent three days in Scotland in May, visiting his golf resorts and hotels at Balmedie in Aberdeenshire and Turnberry, South Ayrshire, which prompted a high-profile security operation.

Even though Trump is no longer head of state, his visit with family and entourage warranted a huge cost to the taxpayer, which will not be reclaimed.

Overtime payments by Police Scotland totaled around an estimated £57,493 ($71,311) over and above normal day-to-day budgets - while cops watched him tee off, patrolled the grounds of his properties or guarded entrances.

However, the costs could be even higher as the May final payroll had yet to be processed.

Police Scotland provided him with large escorts to and from his properties after he flew into Aberdeen Airport and then traveled to Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Cops also incurred subsistence costs of £2,012 ($2,495) for "Operation Booknote," according to a Freedom of Information request.

In 2018, Police Scotland’s bill for covering Trump’s visit to Turnberry was £3.2million ($3.9 million) - around half of which was accounted for by overtime payments.

The force had to build watchtowers and temporary barriers, as well as perimeter patrols at Turnberry and Prestwick.

During Trump’s visit while he was president, funding was provided by the Treasury on “an exceptional basis” because it was regarded as an official visit organized by the UK government.

But now that Trump is a private citizen, no such arrangements were in place.

Police Scotland confirmed there was “no cost recovery” mechanism for Operation Booknote.

The force’s response added: “The nature of policing means that officers and staff are deployed to wherever their services are most required.

"The division to which individual officers or staff belong meet the cost of their core time and so there is no requirement to maintain a record of the cost of any particular duty carried out."