Donald Trump’s Scottish golfing venture and his political standing are both enduring rough patches. On the one hand, his esteemed resort continues to bleed money; on the other, his public support is slipping across key voter segments.
Resort Losses Mount
One of Trump’s favorite retreats — Trump International Scotland near Aberdeen, Scotland — incurred its thirteenth continuous year of losses in 2024. The managing company, Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd., reported a full-year loss of roughly US$1.17 million, narrowing from a US$1.83 million loss the prior year (via Bloomberg).
Revenue at the course climbed to about US$5.55 million from US$4.75 million, buoyed by increased tournament activity and marketing efforts. The strategic report emphasised “further investments in the expansion of its world-class facilities as part of its long-term strategic growth.”
Trump originally acquired the Menie property north of Aberdeen back in 2006; the course opened in 2012 and has recorded losses every year since. Earlier in 2024, the resort added a second course (named after Trump’s mother, who was born in Scotland), and the Trump family made a high-profile visit in July to boost publicity.
Yet despite the added publicity and infrastructure investment, the operational losses indicate that the business model remains under strain. The resort has also been criticized for environmental issues — including sewage contamination breaches. According to documents from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the course violated sewage contamination limits 14 times since 2019 and multiple times in 2024, eight of which were classified as “upper tier” incidents with potential enforcement implications. The resort management disagrees with characterizations of serious risk, saying their wastewater system meets licensing and relies on natural ground filtration to mitigate harm.
Political Headwinds: Approval Rating Sinks
Meanwhile, President Trump’s broader political fortunes are showing signs of faltering. Several recent polls indicate his approval rating has plummeted to the lowest levels of his current term.
A July 29, 2025 poll by Reuters/Ipsos found Trump’s job-approval rating at 40%, marking the weakest point of his second term.
Reuters
Earlier in April, a poll found his approval rating at 39%, with 55% disapproving — a steep drop from earlier months.
The Washington Post
The July Marquette Law School poll placed his approval at 45% with 55% disapproval.
Marquette University Law School
On specific issues, his support is weaker: for example, a May poll found his net approval on inflation/cost-of-living was −32 points (34% approve vs 66% disapprove).
Marquette University Law School
The decline is particularly pronounced among independents — a key voting bloc — and on core issues such as the economy, inflation, tariffs and immigration. His base among Republicans remains strong, but his failure to expand beyond the base is showing up in bruised numbers.
The political relevance is clear: as Trump’s business ventures face losses, his public image is weakening — especially at a time when economic concerns dominate voters’ minds and any blemish on his management of institutions correlates with broader disapproval.
Why the Two Stories Matter Together
Symbolic overlap: The resort’s repeated losses serve as a metaphor for the broader challenge Trump faces: heavy investment and effort, but weak returns (in both business and politics).
Economic credibility: The resort’s continual financial under-performance may weaken Trump’s claim to business-savvy leadership — at exactly the moment voters are skeptical of his economic leadership.
Issue convergence: Polls show voters are deeply concerned about the economy, cost of living and inflation — topics that overlap with business performance and management credibility. If the leisure-business owned by Trump cannot generate profit after years of investment, voters may draw broader inferences about his leadership in government or policy.
Brand vs substance: Trump’s brand remains strong among his loyal supporters, but both his business and political metrics suggest difficulty breaking out to a broader audience or demonstrating tangible success beyond the base.
What’s Next
For the resort: The management emphasizes that the increased revenue and expanded facilities are intended to pay off in coming years (“We expect [this] will help to deliver continued revenue growth in 2025 and beyond.”) But turning around a decade of losses will require sustained improvement.
For Trump politically: He will need to improve his optics on key priority issues (economy, cost of living, immigration) and broaden his appeal beyond core supporters if he hopes to stabilize or raise his approval rating. The continuing economic headwinds (inflation, cost pressures, government shutdowns etc.) complicate this.
Summary
Trump’s Scottish Golf resort has now posted 13 years of straight losses, despite rising revenue and high-profile visits. At the same time, his job-approval ratings have hit multi-term lows — hovering around 40 % and showing particular weakness among independents and on economic issues. The intersection of business under-performance and political vulnerability creates a moment of dual stress for his brand and leadership narrative.
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