White House says Trump has no plans to leave for Scotland the day before Biden's inauguration
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- A plane that President Donald Trump sometimes uses is scheduled to land in Scotland the day before Joe Biden's inauguration, a Scottish newspaper reported.
- The Sunday Post reported that the US military plane is scheduled to land at Prestwick Airport, near Trump's Turnberry golf resort, on January 19.
- Multiple reports have suggested that Trump is planning to skip Biden's inauguration to host a rival, attention-grabbing event at the same time.
- However, a White House spokesman, Judd Deere, told Insider the president has "no plans" to visit Scotland adding: "anonymous sources who claim to know what the President is or is not considering have no idea. When President Trump has an announcement about his plans for Jan. 20 he will let you know."
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The White House has denied that President Donald Trump will fly to Scotland for Joe Biden's inauguration following a report that a US military plane the president sometimes uses is scheduled to land in the country the day before the event.
The Sunday Post, a weekly Scottish newspaper, reported that a US military Boeing 757 was scheduled to land at Prestwick Airport - near the president's Turnberry golf resort - on January 19, one day before Biden's inauguration in Washington, DC. The report fueled speculation that the president plans to leave the US for his luxury Scottish golf resort rather than attend Biden's inauguration.
While White House spokesperson Judd Deere initially said Trump was not ready to announce his plans for January 20, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany later told Business Insider: "This is not accurate. President Trump has no plans to travel to Scotland."
McEnany's denial on Tuesday afternoon came after Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that President Trump would not be permitted to visit the country because COVID-19 restrictions prevent non-essential travel there.
"We are not allowing people to come into Scotland, and that would apply to him just as it applies to anybody else," Sturgeon told Scottish reporters on Tuesday. "And coming in to play golf is not what I would consider to be an essential purpose."
The president has used the plane on previous trips abroad, though a source at the airport told the newspaper it is more frequently used by the vice president or the first lady.
A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, told Business Insider on Tuesday morning: "Anonymous sources who claim to know what the President is or is not considering have no idea. When President Trump has an announcement about his plans for Jan. 20 he will let you know."
Trump visited his Turnberry resort as part of a wider European trip in 2018.
Sources at Prestwick Airport told The Post that US surveillance aircraft had flown above Turnberry in recent weeks, adding to speculation about a presidential visit.
Reports have suggested that Trump, who has refused to acknowledge Biden's election victory and has claimed without evidence that the election was rigged against him, is planning to skip Biden's inauguration.
Even if he does not travel to Scotland, he could be planning attempt to host a rival, attention-grabbing event at the same time. That could complicate several things, including the transfer of the so-called nuclear football, a suitcase giving the president the means to conduct a nuclear strike.
Axios reported in December that Trump was considering a plan to fly in Air Force One to Florida, then address supporters at a rally held at the same time as Biden's inauguration.
And NBC News reported that Trump was considering announcing a presidential run in 2024 on Inauguration Day.
Prestwick Airport did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
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