A GLASGOW club owner has apologised for a “grave error in judgement” after insisting Scotland rollout red carpet for Donald Trump.
Nightlife mogul Donald Macleod penned a column insisting the new US President be given the VIP treatment in Scotland to offput any America First tariffs on Scottish products.
The nightclub boss, who owns The Garage and Cathouse in Glasgow city centre, posted the column on substack titled “Make Scotland Great Again: Welcome Home Donald J Trump“.
In it he blasted senior figures in the UKGovernment, including Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Sec David Lammy, accusing them of torpedoing the special relationship between the US and UK with anti-Trump comments.
He said the Scottish Government should cosy up to the MAGA-chief in a bid to lessen the threats of tariffs on the whisky, salmon and Harris tweed industries – saying “Scotland should not become a victim of political stupidity.”
He said: “Our First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish Government should pledge to strengthen ties with America and do everything to protect these vital Scottish jobs and industries.”
Mr Macleod added: “They should be rolling our the Trump Tartan (Macleod of Lewis) carpet, bequeathing him a Scottish state visit, which could include stars and stripes ticker-tape pipe band parade down the Royal Mile, inviting him to dinner with the King at Holyrood Palace.
“Allowing him to address the Scottish Parliament, granting him the freedom of the Western Isles, and naming a ferry after his mother Mary Macleod, who emigrated from Tong, near Stornoway, to New York in 1930.”
Mr Macleod also appeared on Mike Graham’s TalkTVshow to repeat calls for the Donald to get the VIP treatment.
But the column was blasted by staff at one of his most iconic venues, The Cathouse, near the four corners.
CarrieAnn Crow, who runs Hellbent at the popular club, posted an open letter to the nightclub boss accusing him of betraying the nightclub as a safe space for the disenfranchised.
She said: “So for me, watching you lift your leg and p*ss on a legacy that isn’t yours is deeply upsetting. The Cathouse was made for disenfranchised people, and you see fit to a paragraphs long ode to the oppressor.”
She added: “I know you know me, and I know you’ve spoken and think highly of me and my work. I know you know the importance of the space I’m trying to create.
“So how can you sit and pat a man on the back who is actively stripping rights away from people like me, and many other marginalised groups.”
CarrieAnn also claimed his staff would have to suffer for his pro-Trump stance.
She finished the post saying: “I’m more than happy to deal with whatever consequence me speaking my mind delivers. That’s a sentiment the Donald that started the Cathouse would certainly appreciate. And I’m pretty sure that Donald would have something to say about the Donald that wrote that article.”
Threat to deploy European TROOPS to Greenland amid Trump takeover threat
BY PATRICK HARRINGTON
EU politicians have threatened to deploy European troops to Greenland and refused to negotiate with Trump over his plans to buy the island.
Denmark has announced a multi-billion dollar boost to its armed forces in the Arctic after Trump doubled-down on his intention to take the landmass.
General Robert Brieger of Austria, the top EU military official, said it “would make perfect sense” to station EU troops in Greenland.
He added: “That would send a strong signal and could contribute to stability in the region.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said in an interview with France’s Sud Radio that France had “started discussing [troop deployment] with Denmark”, but that it was not “Denmark’s wish” to proceed with the idea.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said the bloc was “not negotiating” with the American President, who has said he needs Greenland for security purposes.
She added: “Of course we are supporting our member state, Denmark, and its autonomous region, Greenland, but we shouldn’t also go into speculation about what-ifs because this is not the situation right now.”
The Estonian diplomat struck back after Trump repeated his vow that Greenland would fall under American control.
The US President said on Saturday: “I think the people [of Greenland] want to be with us.
“I don’t really know what claim Denmark has to it, but it would be a very unfriendly act if they didn’t allow that to happen because it’s for the protection of the free world.
“I think Greenland we’ll get because it has to do with freedom of the world.”
But Mr Macleod has since responded to the open letter, apologising for any hurt caused by his column.
He uploaded a three part apology to his social media for attempting to ‘massage the ego’ of the 47th President.
Donald added it was not his intention to cause hurt by writing the column.
He wrote: “I have done a lot of soul searching over the past few very upsetting days and nights. I can;t rewind the clock, even if I wish I could, and know that I’ll still be damned if I do, damned if I don;t, by responding to your open letter.
“I had no idea, nor was it ever my intention when writing the Trump piece, that it would cause so much hurt to so many people, especially the LGBTQIA2S+, who form a major part of the overall Cathouse community and of course my fantastic but now upset Cathouse staff.
“And for that I can only offer my sincerest heartfelt apologies.”
“I had no idea, nor was it ever my intention when writing the Trump piece, that it would cause so much hurt to so many people.”
He added: “It is clear that I was foolish for not carrying out some proper research before writing it, I was too quick to think to proclaim his second coming, and celebrate his second coming and celebrate his brash and bombastic business approach, which I hoped with a little ego massaging, could benefit Scottish export business and jobs.
“While at the same time, not looking at the policy details contained within some of his executive orders and the very hurtful effects they’ll have on some of the most marginalised communities in the US.
“And for that I can only offer mt sincerest apologies.
“I was in other words, a total a*se.”
