Donald Trump pledged to 'save Scotland' from 'Mad Alex' Salmond and his 'monstrous' windfarms
President-elect was outraged by plans to build wind turbines in the sea within sight of his Aberdeenshire golf course and let the then Scottish First Minister know in 16 increasingly irate letters
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.US President-elect Donald Trump once wrote a series of enraged letters to Scotland’s then First Minister Alex Salmond, claiming he wanted to “save Scotland” from “Mad Alex” and his “mad march into oblivion”.
The cause of the billionaire businessman’s anger was a plan to build an offshore wind farm within sight of his golf course in Aberdeenshire.
According to letters revealed after a Freedom of Information request by the Huffington Post, Mr Trump wrote 16 times about the issue between 2011 and 2013, but received just one polite reply from Mr Salmond.
According to the man soon to become the “leader of the free world”, the “monstrous” wind farms would push Scotland into bankruptcy, forever ending the Scottish National Party’s dream of independence.
Mr Trump wrote in September 2011 that he had been “repeatedly” assured by the previous Scottish government that the wind farm would not be built.
“Would you put a wind farm opposite St Andrews ... I don’t think so,” he wrote.
“Hopefully, Aberdeen’s magnificent coastlines will not be destroyed by these monsters.”
In February the following year, his tone became more bellicose, accusing his one-time friend Mr Salmond of being “hell-bent” on damaging the country’s coastline.
He insisted he wanted to “save Scotland” in order to “honour my mother”, who was from the Isle of Lewis.
The next month, Mr Trump pulled out all the stops in his attempt to stop golfers who visited his course from seeing wind turbines out to sea.
“The monstrous industrial machines that you want to litter all over the magnificent waters and shore of Scotland will destroy the environment and tourism sector. Ireland is very happy!” he wrote.
“Do you want to be known for centuries to come as ‘Mad Alex – the man who destroyed Scotland?’
“Remember what I said – if you pursue this craziness Scotland will go broke and forever lose whatever chance you currently have of making Scotland independent. A bankrupt Scotland will always be reliant on others.
“Wind energy is highly inefficient, totally unreliable and the most expensive form of energy there is.”
Another month, another letter, with Mr Trump telling Mr Salmond in April 2012 that “your economy will become a third world wasteland that investors will avoid.”
The correspondence continued the next month in much the same vein.
“Stop your mad march into oblivion with these very expensive and highly inefficient (and extremely ugly) industrial machines,” Mr Trump wrote.
“Focus on hydro, wave or tidal power and other forms of renewable energy like other countries who have abandoned ‘wind power’ are doing!
“Your idea of Independence is ‘Gone With the Wind’.”
In August of that year, Mr Trump wrote to Philip Hammond, then Defence Secretary, to congratulate the Ministry of Defence for lodging an objection to a wind power scheme.
But he made sure Mr Salmond and then Prime Minister David Cameron were sent a copy.
“There is nothing that can mitigate the impact these hideous windmills will have. The defence of the UK is far too important to tinker with just to satisfy Alex Salmond’s bloated ego,” he told Mr Hammond, now the Chancellor.
“These monstrous turbines are extremely unpopular in Scotland and the rest of the World – there is a great uprising against them.
“Thank you for your ongoing objecting to these horrendous machines that will ruin Scotland and compromise the United Kingdom’s Air Defence program.”
And, in March 2013, he urged Mr Salmond: “Do not be the man who destroyed Scotland – do not be ‘Mad Alex’!”
Mr Trump, who is notoriously litigious, also took his objections to the windfarm off the coast of Balmedie in Aberdeenshire all the way to the Supreme Court, but lost and construction is now underway.
Mr Salmond responded just once, in April 2012, saying the offshore wind industry was forecast to create about £30bn of investment and up to 28,000 jobs in Scotland.
“Quite simply, a transition to a low carbon economy presents the best opportunity in a generation to re-industrialise Scotland,” he said.
“We are determined to be on the right side of this debate, to deliver a future for the next generation, and a prosperous one at that.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments