| Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland that begins today brings back into focus the ever-present overlap between his presidential duties and his personal interests. His initial destination is Turnberry, the small Scottish village that is home to the luxury golf resort that he bought in 2014. In the background is Trump’s bid to bring the Open championship, the oldest major golf tournament, back to Turnberry. “It’s the number one course in the world,” Trump told reporters before leaving Washington, adding that his trip is “not about” securing the tournament.  Trump departs the White House Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA Still, as my London colleagues Alex Wickham, Ellen Milligan and Freya Jones reported, British government officials have been quietly trying to secure the Open for Turnberry — unsuccessfully so far. During the five-day trip, Trump will also be attending the grand opening of a new golf course at the Trump International resort near Aberdeen. There’s been no official word on whether any rounds of golf will be played. In between he’s squeezing dinner and meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two leaders struck a deal that would cut US tariffs on some key British exports and allow more American agricultural imports. Trump said that he and Starmer would “do more fine-tuning” on the trade pact. And just after he took off from the US to cross the Atlantic, European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen announced that she’ll meet with Trump on Sunday. The EU is attempting to secure it’s own deal before 30% tariffs on the bloc’s exports kick in a week from today. After months of talks, Trump said today that the EU “has got a pretty good chance of making a deal.” He’s also scheduled to talk to First Minister John Swinney of Scotland, which also happens to be his mother’s ancestral home. The trip raises some of the same ethical issues as Trump’s visit to the Middle East in May to promote investment in the US from Gulf nations and solidify US relationships in the region. The Trump Organization has multiple properties in the region and partnerships with firms there. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said repeatedly that Trump has no conflicts of interest when it comes to his official duties. As she said at a May briefing, “All of the president’s assets are in a blind trust, which is managed by his children.” Other developments this week: - Some automakers and industry stakeholders are raising concerns that Trump’s agreement with Japan will undercut his bid to rebalance America’s trading relationships and revive domestic manufacturing. Bloomberg’s Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Josh Wingrove reported that critics point to his decision to grant Japan relief on auto tariffs because it wouldn’t address the main source of the US trade deficit with Japan and will disadvantage Detroit’s Big Three automakers. Administration officials though highlight Tokyo’s pledge to create a $550 billion fund for US investments as a major win for the US.
- The president this week unveiled and action plan to promote artificial intelligence development and innovation in the US that focuses on loosening safety testing and transparency requirements put in place by the Biden administration as well as eliminating some of the regulatory burdens for AI-related infrastructure projects like data centers and power generation, my colleagues Stephanie Lai, Jackie Davalos and Annmarie Hordern reported.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Trump’s recently enacted tax and spending law will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over a decade, Bloomberg’s Jarrell Dillard reported. The new analysis doesn’t incorporate so-called dynamic effects, such as the impact on growth or interest rates over time that Republicans argue will end up reducing deficits. The law also will result in 10 million Americans losing health insurance by 2034, according to the CBO.
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