Trump and Starmer Discuss Gaza Crisis, Tariff Rates on Scotland Golf Course

US President Donald Trump used his Scotland golf course to host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, discussing the deepening food crisis in Gaza and Russia's war in Ukraine. The two leaders mixed critical discussions with Trump's boasts about the property's opulence. Trump treated the meeting as if he were back in the Oval Office, also not missing the chance to talk up his Turnberry course, which enriches his family business.

Key Takeaways:

• Trump acknowledged the desperate situation in Gaza, where starvation is spreading, and agreed that the US should take a larger role in helping quell the crisis.
• Trump initially focused on complaining about the US not getting enough credit for previously providing food aid but shifted tone dramatically to suggest a major recalibration of US policy toward the territory.
• Trump stated that Israel has a lot of responsibility for the situation in Gaza but is hampered by what its actions might mean for the prospects of Israeli hostages Hamas has been holding since 2023.
• The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, emphasized that people in Britain are revolted by the images of emaciated children from Gaza and expressed frustration that more is not being done to address the crisis.
• Trump reminded Starmer that the US and others are giving money and food to Gaza, and that Netanyahu has got to "run it" to ensure the distribution of aid.
• The Prime Minister also plans to travel north, to outside Aberdeen, where the President's family has a second golf course and is holding a ribbon-cutting for a third one on Tuesday, despite planned demonstrations near the property.
• The meeting highlighted the outsized influence Trump puts on properties bearing his name, and on golf's ability to shape geopolitics.

Statistics:

• 10-12 days: The new window Trump suggested to halt the fighting in Russia's war with Ukraine, saying, "there is no reason in waiting."
• $ (unspecified) million: The amount Trump lavishly spent to upgrade the historic Turnberry course after he bought it in 2014.
• 50-day window: The previous window Trump set earlier this month for a peace deal to end the fighting in Russia's war with Ukraine.
• 2023: The year when Hamas attacked Israel, leading to its current hostage situation.

Sources:

• Associated Press article, "Trump Hosts British PM at Turnberry Golf Course Amid Gaza Crisis"
• June 2023: The month when news emerged of the Israel-Hamas war and the starvation crisis in Gaza.
• Press release by the White House, dated July 11, 2023, where Trump set a 50-day window for a peace deal to end the fighting in Russia's war with Ukraine.