Donald Trump Is Headed to Scotland to Meet With the U.K. Prime Minister

It's not all that unusual for a president to travel internationally. Although presidents should be focused on what's happening at home, foreign trips can be hugely important as signs of respect and to negotiate with other countries in circumstances where leaders have to talk face to face.

Of course, Donald Trump is not a normal president in any sense of the word, which is why some people are wondering about his trip to Scotland. Here's what we know about why he's headed there.

According to U.S. News and World Report, the official reason for Trump's visit to Scotland is to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and discuss trade. What's also true, though, is that Trump will be visiting Turnberry and Aberdeen, two areas where he owns and operates golf courses. Aberdeen is also set to be home to a new golf course that will open in August of this year.

It seems distinctly possible, then, that Trump is headed across the Atlantic to play some golf and check in on his properties, which he also did once during his first term. While Trump has long suggested that he is no longer invested in his businesses, trips like these, as well as all his promotion of merchandise and cryptocurrency, make that pretty hard to believe. It seems fair to say, then, that Trump will be mixing his personal and professional interests on this trip.

Trump's travels to Scotland are a bit impromptu, as the White House didn't previously announce the trip. Trump himself also said that he would be discussing trade with Starmer, although he wasn't super clear about where those talks might happen, suggesting that it might be at one of his properties. Trump will also travel to the United Kingdom again in September to meet with King Charles, a visit that was previously announced.

Although previous presidents have been careful to divest from their business interests before taking on the presidency, that has never been a much of a concern for Trump, who has divested in name, but is clearly using the presidency for personal enrichment.

The golf courses are frankly the least alarming piece of that business operation, but speak to the way that Trump has focused on personal enrichment throughout his time in the White House.

In a different era of American politics, it would have been seen as hugely inappropriate for the president to host meetings at a property he owns, in part because it could be seen as promotion for that property. Trump has shifted our sense of what's normal to such an extent, though, that he can get away with it without much hubbub.

He's traveling to Scotland, and he'll do some policy work and some business work on the trip. He might be the president, but at least in his mind, that doesn't mean he can't also make some money on the side.