Edinburgh councillors file motions against Donald Trump visit

Green councillor Alex Staniforth, who is behind one of the motions, pointed to the US president’s history and his record when recommending that the city oppose a visit.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Trump is nothing less than a nascent fascist. His closest advisor did Nazi salutes at his inauguration and ICE have been spuriously taking student protesters.

“Edinburgh should not tolerate fascists and should have no part in welcoming a fascist leader into Scotland.

“I hope other parties will see that and refuse to support any visit he tries to make.”

US President Donald Trump has not made public any plans to visit Edinburgh, but he is set to visit his new golf course in Aberdeenshire this year | Carl Court/PA Wire

Staniforth’s motion says that the US president tried to overturn the results of the 2020 American presidential elections in an attempted coup on January 6.

And it says that Trump has used his political position to interfere in the prosecution of New York mayor Eric Adams, removed protections for trans people and removed foreign aid funding without the approval of the legislature.

Further it says that the president has “threatened the sovereignty of Canada and Greenland”.

It also says that the United States is an ‘emerging fascist state’.

Finally, it asks councillors and the city to refuse to be involved in ‘any capacity’ with a visit by Donald Trump or JD Vance to the capital, and not use city resources to support any such visit.

The other motion, put forward by SNP councillor Lesley Macinnes, focuses on the ‘shock and great concern’ of the recent Oval Office conversation between Trump, vice president Vance and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It calls on the council leader and the Lord Provost to write to UK and Scottish ministers and the royal household indicating that Edinburgh would not participate in any state visit of Trump to the city.

Donald Trump has not made public any plans to visit Edinburgh, but he is set to visit his new golf course in Aberdeenshire this year.

Cllr Staniforth’s motion will be discussed at the full council meeting on Thursday, 20 March, which you can view here.