Trump est arrivé en Ecosse pour un séjour mêlant golf, diplomatie et commerce

Donald Trump est arrivé vendredi pour un week-end prolongé en Ecosse qui doit mêler golf, diplomatie et négociations commerciales, et où un important dispositif de sécurité a été déployé en prévision de manifestations.”Je suis en Ecosse maintenant. Beaucoup de réunions prévues!!!”, a annoncé le président américain sur son réseau Truth Social.Après son arrivée à bord de l’avion présidentiel Air Force One en début de soirée à l’aéroport de Prestwick, au sud-ouest de Glasgow, Donald Trump s’est rendu à Turnberry, dans un des deux complexes de golf écossais appartenant à l’entreprise familiale dirigée par ses fils.L’agenda officiel du président américain est vide samedi. Il doit rencontrer dimanche la présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen, qui espère obtenir un accord sur les droits de douane. Une perspective que le président américain a jugé possible à “50-50”.La police écossaise, qui se prépare à des manifestations, a annoncé la mise en place d’une “opération d’envergure à travers tout le pays pendant plusieurs jours”.Avant de repartir pour Washington, Donald Trump s’arrachera aussi aux greens pour une rencontre, dont les détails ne sont pas connus, avec le Premier ministre britannique Keir Starmer.Ce dernier ne passe pas pour être féru de golf comme le républicain de 79 ans et il cherchera surtout à rester dans ses petits papiers, après avoir jusqu’ici évité que son pays ne soit frappé de droits de douane exorbitants.Les Etats-Unis et le Royaume-Uni ont annoncé en mai un accord commercial, mais Londres s’inquiète de la volonté exprimée par Donald Trump de le “peaufiner”.A son arrivée en Ecosse, Donald Trump a toutefois affirmé que l’heure serait à la “célébration”. “L’accord est conclu” avec Londres, a-t-il insisté, ajoutant que les deux dirigeants parleraient “d’autres choses”.Avant son départ de Washington, il a néanmoins semblé doucher les espoirs britanniques d’obtenir des droits de douane durablement réduits sur l’acier et l’aluminium. Londres a jusqu’ici été exempté des 50% de droits appliqués aux importations par les Etats-Unis.  “Si je le fais pour un, je devrais le faire pour tous”, a-t-il affirmé.- Immigration -En Ecosse, la guerre dans la bande de Gaza sera sans doute un sujet de discussion, au moment où le Premier ministre travailliste est appelé par plus de 220 députés à emboîter le pas au président français Emmanuel Macron pour reconnaître l’Etat de Palestine.A son arrivée, Donald Trump a également évoqué l’immigration en Europe, appelant les pays européens “à se ressaisir” et à “mettre un terme à cette horrible invasion”, en prenant exemple sur sa propre politique d’expulsions de sans-papiers.En traversant l’Atlantique, Donald Trump sera à distance, au moins géographiquement, des rebondissements de la très embarrassante affaire Jeffrey Epstein, un riche financier accusé de crimes sexuels et mort en prison en 2019 avant son procès.Certains de ses partisans lui reprochent de manquer de transparence à propos de cette ancienne figure de la jet-set new-yorkaise, avec laquelle lui-même entretenait une relation amicale et qui est devenue le symbole pour toute une frange du mouvement “MAGA” des turpitudes d’une élite protégée.Depuis l’Ecosse, il a assuré n’avoir jamais été “informé” que son nom figurait dans les dossiers judiciaires liées à l’ancien financier.Donald Trump sera de retour au Royaume-Uni en septembre, pour une visite d’Etat à l’invitation du roi Charles III s’annonçant fastueuse.- Manifestations -Il avait assuré au cours d’une précédente visite, en 2023, se sentir “à la maison” en Ecosse où sa mère, Mary Anne MacLeod, a grandi avant d’émigrer à 18 ans aux Etats-Unis.Son affection n’est pas forcément réciproque: des manifestations sont prévues samedi à Edimbourg et à Aberdeen, ainsi qu’à proximité de ses golfs, pour protester contre sa présence.En 2018, sa précédente visite à Turnberry avait poussé des milliers de personnes à manifester à Glasgow et à Edimbourg.Le Premier ministre écossais, John Swinney, a annoncé qu’il rencontrerait Donald Trump pendant sa visite, soulignant que l’Ecosse “entretient une amitié solide avec les Etats-Unis depuis des siècles”. La construction d’un nouveau parcours par le groupe aujourd’hui dirigé par les fils de Donald Trump a suscité du mécontentement à Balmedie, dans l’Aberdeenshire, de la part de certains riverains et d’élus écologistes.Ce n’est que l’un des nombreux projets, immobiliers ou autres, à travers le monde de la famille Trump.Si Donald Trump n’a plus légalement le contrôle de la holding familiale, ses opposants lui reprochent de multiplier les conflits d’intérêts en se servant de ses fonctions de président pour pousser des investissements familiaux privés, notamment à l’étranger.

Top US Justice official questions Epstein accomplice for 2nd day

The US Justice Department’s deputy chief conducted a second day of questioning Friday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose infamous case has dragged President Donald Trump into a political firestorm.Todd Blanche, who is also Trump’s former personal attorney, has so far declined to say what he discussed with Maxwell in the highly unusual meetings between a convicted felon and a top DOJ official.Maxwell’s lawyer David Markus said Friday afternoon that she was asked about “everything” and “answered every single question” during the second day of questioning at a courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.”They asked about every single, every possible thing you could imagine,” Markus told reporters outside the courtroom, without elaborating.But he did say there was “no offers” of clemency made to Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence on sex trafficking charges.Trump is looking to move past the Epstein scandal, which has seen him on rare unsure footing over claims his administration mishandled a review of the notorious case.On Friday, Trump again sought to put distance between himself and Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.”I have nothing to do with the guy,” Trump, whose past friendship with Epstein has received much media attention this week, told reporters ahead of a visit to Scotland.- ‘Never briefed’ -Trump urged journalists to “focus” instead on Democratic Party figures like former president Bill Clinton and his treasury secretary, former Harvard president Larry Summers, whom the Republican claimed were “really close friends” of Epstein.Asked whether he was considering a pardon or commutation of Maxwell’s 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, Trump said it was something “I haven’t thought about” — but stressed he had the power to do so.He also denied multiple US media reports that he was briefed in the spring by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name appeared multiple times in the so-called “Epstein Files.””No, I was never — never briefed, no,” Trump said.Multi-millionaire Epstein was accused of procuring underage girls for sex with his circle of wealthy, high-profile associates when he died by suicide in a New York jail cell.His death fueled conspiracy theories that he was murdered to stop him testifying against prominent accomplices.Trump, who had promised his supporters revelations about the case, infuriated some after his administration announced in early July that it had not discovered any new elements warranting the release of additional documents.The Department of Justice and the FBI said there was no proof that there was a “list” of Epstein’s clients, while affirming he died by suicide.- ‘Scapegoat’? -Ahead of the second round of questioning, Markus told reporters “Ghislaine has been treated unfairly for over five years now” and described her as a “scapegoat.””Everything she says can be corroborated and she’s telling the truth. She’s got no reason to lie at this point and she’s going to keep telling the truth,” he added.Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate who has been convicted, was jailed in 2022 for grooming underage girls between 1994 and 2004 so that Epstein could sexually exploit them.Her lawyer said she still intended to appeal her conviction in the Supreme Court.The Wall Street Journal reported  Wednesday that Trump’s name was among hundreds found during a DOJ review of Epstein’s case files, though there has not been evidence of wrongdoing.Trump filed a $10 billion defamation suit against the Journal last week after it reported that he had penned a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003.House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson cut short the legislative session this week, sending lawmakers home on summer recess a day early to avoid potentially combustible debate — particularly among Trump’s Republicans — on the release of files.

US stocks end at records as markets eye tariff deadline

Wall Street stock indices ended at fresh records Friday as US investors bet on additional trade deals following this week’s breakthrough with Japan.US President Donald Trump cautioned that striking a deal with the European Union to reduce import tariffs will be a challenge. Trump has set an August 1 deadline for an accord.”I would say that we have a 50/50 chance, maybe less than that, but a 50/50 chance of making a deal with the EU,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday.But US investors have adopted an optimistic stance about further accords given Trump’s record of suspending or delaying the most onerous tariffs. The S&P 500 finished at a fifth straight record and the tech-rich Nasdaq at a third straight record, capping an upbeat week. Equity markets elsewhere were more subdued.London, after a strong run on positive corporate news, finished slightly lower as did Frankfurt, while Paris closed just ahead after Asia lost ground.”There is no unifying theme across financial markets this month — instead markets are moving to the beat of their own drums,” concluded Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.Sentiment had been lifted earlier in the week by the announcement of a Japan-US deal, as well as signals that the EU could be closing in on its own accord with Washington.The “momentum has not been kept up, and European stocks are weaker at the end of the week,” noted Brooks.The EU is still forging ahead with contingency plans in case talks fail, with member states approving a 93 billion-euro ($109 billion) package of retaliatory counter-tariffs.With few positive catalysts to drive buying, Asian markets turned lower heading into the weekend.Tokyo retreated after a two-day rally and Hong Kong declined following five days of gains. Shanghai was also down. The dollar gained against major currencies, a reversal of the trend throughout much of 2025. The dollar fell the most in the first six months of 2025 since 1973.Trump said Friday that a weaker dollar can boost exports and tourism. “It doesn’t sound good, but you make a hell of a lot more money with a weaker dollar, not a weak dollar, but a weaker dollar, than you do with a strong dollar,” he told reporters at the White House.In corporate news, German auto giant Volkswagen said US tariffs had cost it 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in the first half of the year as it reported falling profits.After an initial drop, shares in the carmaker rose four percent in Frankfurt. German sportswear maker Puma saw its shares tumble around 16 percent after slashing its sales forecast and warning of a full year loss.Intel dropped 8.5 percent after reporting a $2.9 billion loss as it announced further cost-cutting initiatives. The company said it has cut about 15 percent of its workforce.- Key figures at around 2030 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 44,901.92 (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.4 percent at 6,388.64 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 21,108.32 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 9,120.31 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 7,834.58 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.3 percent at 24,217.50 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.9 percent at 41,456.23 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.1 percent at 25,388.35 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3,593.66 (close)Dollar/yen: UP at 147.68 yen from 147.01 yen on ThursdayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1738 from $1.1749Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3431 from $1.3510Euro/pound: UP at 87.40 pence from 86.97 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.3 percent at $65.16 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.1 percent at $68.44 per barrel