Countries with Trump’s Golf Courses Excluded from European Travel Ban

President Donald Trump announced in a TV address last night that new travel restrictions would be applied to European countries excluding the United Kingdom. However, the White House later clarified these restrictions would only apply to countries in the Schengen travel area, leaving both the UK and Ireland outside the ban.

However, eagle eyed observers noted that European countries where Trump owns golf courses have been excluded from the ban. Trump owns properties in Scotland at Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links and a property in the Republic of Ireland at Doonbeg.

While both countries are also outside the Schengen area, there seems to be little rationale for excluding them, since there are Coronavirus cases in both states. Incidentally, the Irish prime minister is in Washington, D.C. today where he announced new restrictions on the Irish population.

The EU has condemned Trump’s travel ban with two of the organization’s most senior officials issuing a statement.

“The Coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent, and requires cooperation rather than unilateral action,” the statement said. “The EU is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus.”

Ireland is in the EU but outside Schengen, while the UK is now outside both.