Donald Trump's claim that the late Sean Connery assisted him in securing planning permission for his Scottish golf resort has been dismissed by the councillor who chaired the planning committee. In a series of tweets before the US election, Trump paid tribute to Connery, who died aged 90, and suggested the actor intervened to help him overcome initial difficulties with his development plans.
Trump tweeted that after “having a very hard time getting approvals”, everything “went swimmingly” after Connery stepped in and shouted “let him build the damn thing”. However, Martin Ford, the Aberdeenshire councillor who chaired the planning committee that initially refused Trump’s application, said Connery was not involved in the process. Ford stated that Connery did not submit a letter of representation, appear at the planning hearing, or attend the public local inquiry.
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond also criticised Trump’s claims, saying this was “not a time for tweeting silly claims”. David Milne, a neighbour of the Trump golf course and a vocal critic, described the claim as “utter bollocks”, adding that Connery never played the course despite Trump’s invitations.
Trump had offered Connery the honour of becoming the first member of his resort at Menie, with membership number 007, and wanted him to play the first shot. However, when the resort opened two years later, Trump played the first balls with former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie instead. Connery and Trump were known to have attended events together in New York, including a Johnnie Walker fashion show in the early 2000s.
