President Donald Trump was ready to apply some extra spin as he hit the links at his Turnberry golf course, bringing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to join him on his golf outing.
It was just the latest demonstration that Leavitt has carved out a place inside Trump’s close inner circle. Trump stood alongside Leavitt as he addressed reporters outside the White House on a recent trip – something he usually does solo.
Now, he has his White House spin-master at his disposal should another shoe drop in the Jeffrey Epstein case – after top DOJ official and former Trump lawyer Todd Blanche spent two days meeting with Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
Leavitt has been fielding increasingly pointed questions from the press on Trump’s behalf about the Jeffrey Epstein matter. This week, she accused the press of trying to ‘sow distrust and chaos’ – the same terms U.S. intelligence applied to Russian election interference in reports Trump’s DNI Tulsi Gabbard declassified.
The president blocked off his Saturday for golf at his treasured course, with no planned public events on what the White House is calling a five-day ‘working visit.’
He hit the course early on a crisp day with temperatures in the 60s, sporting a white USA baseball hat after a massive law enforcement effort to secure the course. (An eagle eyed Secret Service agent spotted a shooter in September 2024 when Trump was playing at his West Palm Beach, Florida course).
He was joined Saturday by son Eric Trump, who Trump says ‘is going to cut a ribbon’ when Trump inaugurates his new course in Aberdeenshire.
Also on the course with Trump at Turnberry was U.S. Ambassador Warren Stephens and his son, according to the White House.
President Trump golfed with his son Eric and U.S. Ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, also came along
Stephens is a former CEO of a family investment fund who was an exec at Tyson Foods. ‘He’s a very, very successful man,’ Trump told reporters Friday.
A White House official wasn’t sure if Leavitt got any swings in, but she was pictured riding in a golf cart and walking around in Trump’s pack.
Trump, 79, an experienced golfer, won’t be needing Leavitt’s advice on the greens. But his White House has been in crisis communications mode amid the evolving Jeffrey Epstein saga.
Trump addressed Epstein as soon as he landed, accusing reporters of ‘making a very big thing over something that’s not a big thing,’ he said.
He threw out plenty of other issues to get people talking, telling Europeans to ‘get your act together’ on immigration and pleading to ‘stop the windmills – you’re ruining your countries.’
There are accumulating signs that Trump is not here to pick a fight with his British hosts, however, after inking a trade deal with Starmer at G7 meetings in Canada this summer.
Trump landed in Scotland Friday night sounding upbeat about British PM Keir Starmer, who he will meet on Monday.
‘I like your prime minister – slightly more liberal than I am, as you probably heard, but he’s a good man. He got a trade deal done,’ Trump told reporters after landing in Glasgow.
The fate of a trade deal with the European Union is less certain. Trump puts the chance of success at 50-50 – with bruising tariffs on autos and other products set to take effect August 1 if there is no deal.
Leavitt was there for the event, although it was unclear if she took a few swings
Trump calls his Turnberry course the best in the world – and wants it to host the Open
Trump is expected to talk trade and diplomacy later in the trip
Leavitt defended Trump and attacked reporters at the White House this week when pressed about the Jeffrey Epstein case
Although Trump’s trip has plenty of downtime built in, fraught issues including Gaza, trade wars, and the Jeffrey Epstein case followed him to Scotland
Trump drove his own cart
Trump and his party played the course in golf carts
Dune commander: His game followed a massive security sweep by law enforcement
‘I don’t want to tell you what the sticking points are, but the sticking points are having to do with maybe 20 different things,’ Trump said.
Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Communications Director Steven Cheung remained home during the trip, where officials are contending not only with the Epstein matter but with a looming August 1 deadline for tariffs Trump has said he’ll impose.
Also top of mind for Trump is pitching his Turnberry golf course to host a future British Open.
‘The best course anywhere in the world, is Turnberry. The players all want to be a Turnberry. Everybody wants to be a Turnberry,’ Trump said, even bragging about electrical infrastructure the Royal & Ancient Golf Club has put down in the past.
