Trump International brands Green leader an imbecile after Trump golf course attack

Trump International Scotland branded Zack Polanski an “imbecile” after the Green Party leader said Donald Trump should be pushed out of his Scottish golf courses and their ownership shifted into community hands, a clash that lands less as policy and more as a test of how far anti-Trump politics can travel in UK campaigning.

Polanski made the remarks at a press conference in Glasgow on Friday, 24 April 2026, while campaigning with Scottish Greens co-leaders Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay ahead of the Holyrood election on 7 May 2026. He said he would like to see Donald Trump “kicked out” of the courses, and said he wanted them brought into community ownership. He also argued that the UK government should be talking about sanctions on Trump, describing him as “dangerous” and “unpredictable.” Polanski tied the attack to Trump’s international conduct, saying he believed Trump was “likely” committing war crimes and citing Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

The response from Trump’s business side was immediate and personal. Sarah Malone, executive vice president of Trump International Scotland, called the comments “frankly ludicrous and ignorant” and described Polanski as “an imbecile.” The language underlined how quickly a campaign-stage provocation can escalate into a branding fight, especially when the target is Donald Trump, whose name still draws both attention and anger in British politics.

The substance, however, remains narrower than the rhetoric. Trump owns two Scottish golf resorts: Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire and Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire. Trump International Golf Links Scotland opened in 2012, and a new course at the Aberdeenshire site opened in summer 2025. The resorts are part of the local economy, and Trump is a regular visitor, which gives the dispute a real local footprint even if the political demands remain aspirational.

For Polanski, the comments also serve a clear electoral purpose. They sharpen the Greens’ profile before a tight Holyrood contest and place the party in the centre of a wider argument about Trump’s influence abroad. But beyond headlines, the practical consequences are limited. Polanski was speaking as a campaigner, not unveiling party policy, and any move toward sanctions or community ownership would require political and legal steps far beyond a Glasgow press conference.