‘Shame on you, Donald John': Scottish island where Trump's mother was born shuns her famous son
ISLE OF LEWIS (United Kingdom), May 9 — Donald Trump, who unveiled a trade agreement with the UK on Thursday, is proud of his roots on the windswept Scottish island where his mother grew up, but its residents are less enthused by her famous son.
In contrast to the Trump brand's glitz and glamour, his ancestral home on the Isle of Lewis, northwest Scotland, is quite modest.
The house, around 200 metres (220 yards) from the sea, is constructed from light grey plaster with a slate roof, in keeping with Lewis's austere and harsh landscape, sculpted by the Atlantic winds.
Mary Anne MacLeod, Donald Trump's mother, was born on the island in 1912 and lived in the small village of Tong until the age of 18.
Mary Anne MacLeod, Donald Trump's mother, was born in this house on the Scottish Isle of Lewis in 1912 and lived in the small village of Tong until the age of 18. — AFP pic
Her son visited briefly in 2008 for a photograph and to meet some cousins, but it is hard to imagine a place more different from his luxurious Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida or Trump Tower in New York.
Trump may bring up his Scottish roots less often than his predecessor Joe Biden mentioned his Irish background, but he always speaks warmly of the country of his beloved mother, and the UK in general.
He owns two golf courses in Scotland, and is expected to open a third soon.
In 2018, Theresa May, then Britain's prime minister, gave him the family tree of his Scottish ancestors.
'It's great to be home, this was the home of my mother,' he proclaimed upon landing in Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland, for a 2023 visit to his golf courses.
But on Lewis, where the locals are generally welcoming and talkative, simply mentioning Donald Trump's name is enough to impose a curtain of silence: it seems no one wants to talk about him.
'Shame on you'
'Have you seen the banner? That's what the majority of people think about him, but they don't want to talk about something controversial,' explained a Tong resident, who declined to give her name.
The banner hangs in front of a shop in the harbour of Stornoway, the island's largest town, and reads in bold black letters: 'Shame on you, Donald John! #democracy'.
The shop's owner Sarah Venus, who was born in the United States but later moved to Lewis, said she had received 'overwhelming support' from locals and US tourists.
There is no need to add Trump's name to the banner, she explained, as passers-by know exactly who is being targeted, even though Donald John is a very common handle on the island, which has a population of fewer than 20,000 people.
His mother's maiden name, MacLeod, is also the most common surname on Lewis.
Venus criticised the president for his anti-immigration policies, even though 'his mother was a migrant'.
To learn more about Mary Anne MacLeod, you need to meet Bill Lawson. He is a minor celebrity on the island due to his painstaking work, over decades, compiling the residents' family trees.
MacLeod had several brothers and sisters, 'probably eight,' said the 87-year-old Lawson, adding that she was one of the eldest siblings.
Her father – Donald Trump's grandfather – was a fisherman and farmer.
Trump's great grandfather, Donald Smith, was a fisherman from the Scottish Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. — AFP pic
'At that time, you're living off what was available, so you get a small amount of living off the land itself. If the weather was suitable, if you had a decent boat, you did fishing,' explained Lawson.
But there was a massive emigration from Lewis in the early 1920s as its resources were no longer able to sustain its growing population.
'It was big enough that the shipping lines sent ships to Stornoway. They all came into Stornoway and filled up with emigrants,' mostly heading to Canada and the eastern United States, said the amateur genealogist.
Mary Anne MacLeod left the port of Stornoway in 1930 to join her sister in New York.
It was there that she met real estate developer Fred Trump, whom she married in 1936, propelling her up the social ladder.
Lewis residents are more likely to talk about Mary Anne MacLeod than her son, saying she returned to the island regularly until her death in 2000.
One of her daughters, a sister of the president, 'was here quite a lot too. They did a lot of good work,' having donated £200,000 (US$265,000) to establish a care home, said Lawson.
Donald Trump, however, is 'a stranger here', he added. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
40 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
What now for Iran after US strikes? — Ng Chien Chern
JUNE 22 — Today marks the United States' entry into war against Iran after two weeks of fighting between Israel and the latter. Donald Trump has floated the idea of using the United States' proprietary bunker-busting bomb to destroy Iran's underground uranium-enrichment facilities at Fordow. Saturday's strike dispelled any remaining doubts about whether Trump, who had always portrayed himself as an anti-war president, would employ such a drastic move and risk dragging the US into another 'forever war'. With its back against the wall, Iran now faces only a handful of options in response to the latest development. For some time, Iran has warned against US involvement in its conflict with Israel or risked a regional conflagration. However, it has few cards to play following the assassination of many top brass military personnel on June 13 and the debilitating attack on its missile infrastructure by Israel. While Iran is believed to have massive stockpiles of ballistic missiles, a protracted war of attrition is unlikely to end in the regime's favour — especially when its proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza have been severely weakened, rendering it alone in the region. Nevertheless, Iran still wields some leverage against the United States; in particular, it sits in a strategic location to enact a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which would result in soaring oil prices. Roughly 20 per cent of the world's petroleum passes through this narrow strait. Countries like China, India and Japan, which are reliant on the oil flowing out of the Persian Gulf, are particularly sensitive to such a price shock. Similarly, the US is not immune to the spike in oil prices, as it can stoke domestic inflation. A protester with a US dollar note taped over her mouth participates in a demonstration in support of Iran and Palestinians in Gaza, and against the actions of Israel and the United States in Sydney on June 22, 2025. — AFP pic On the other hand, sealing off the strait would almost certainly alienate Iran from whatever diplomatic goodwill remains. This would bolster not only the United States' but Israel's justification that Iran indeed poses a threat to the region and should be pressured into full surrender. However, when push comes to shove, Iran may still do the unthinkable to put the United States under international pressure to scale back its attack. Iran may also opt for a more calibrated retaliation against the United States by attacking its military installations in the region. A limited attack may demonstrate to international audiences that Iran does not yield to foreign aggression, which in turn signals to Israel that it retains sufficient capability and capacity to continue the fight. But every act of retaliation risks provoking further escalation with severe casualties, as Trump warned, 'any retaliation will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight'. That brings us to Iran's final, starkest option: capitulation and de-escalation to preserve the survival of its current regime. Faced with the very real prospect of regime collapse, the Ayatollah regime could forswear its nuclear enrichment programme in exchange for a ceasefire. While this would leave hardliners furious and undermine Iran's narrative of resistance, it might be the only way to preserve the Islamic Republic. If the bunker-busting bomb dropped by the US has indeed obliterated the facilities and set back the development of its nuclear weapons for years, further defiance would serve no purpose in the interest of regime survival. Iran is at a crossroads now. Its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is allegedly sheltering in a bunker and has picked his successor in the event of his assassination. Its proxies are weakened. Although the current Israeli attack has also riled up deep-seated patriotism among Iranians, the regime remains deeply unpopular at home. Tehran may yet attempt a Hail Mary to slay the Goliath that is the US — but the odds are stacked against it. Its next move will no doubt shape the future of Iran. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
US Lawmakers Slam Trump For 'Unilateral' Strike On Iran Without Congressional Approval
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation accompanied by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation accompanied by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool WASHINGTON, June 22 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The United States (US) lawmakers blasted President Donald Trump's "unilateral" action Saturday to strike Iran without seeking congressional authorisation, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Trump 'failed to seek congressional authorisation for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East." His statement came after Trump said American forces completed "very successful" airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan, amid fears of a wider conflagration in the region. bootstrap slideshow Jeffries said Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East, but he "has failed to deliver on that promise." "Congress must be fully and immediately briefed in a classified setting," he said, adding that Trump shoulders "complete and total" responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from "his unilateral military action." Sen. Ed Markey said the attack was "illegal and unconstitutional." "This attack was not approved by Congress and holds dangers for all Americans. The American people do not want another endless war in the Middle East," Markey said, adding a diplomatic solution remains "the best way" to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. "Trump's illegal action raises the risk of escalation into a wider regional war with grave risks for U.S. troops and personnel and civilians in the region," he said, urging Trump to begin ceasefire talks with Iran and Israel. Rep. Pramila Jayapal said the authority to declare war belongs "solely" to Congress.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
IAEA to hold emergency meeting on Monday after US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites
GENEVA: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Sunday that he is convening an emergency meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday, after the recent United States (US) attacks in Iran, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. "In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the @IAEAorg Board of Governors for tomorrow," Rafael Mariano Grossi posted on X. This comes after reports of US attacks on three nuclear facilities in Iran, including the Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant. In a separate statement on X, the IAEA said: "Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran – including Fordow – the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time." The agency noted that it will provide "further assessments on the situation in Iran as more information becomes available." The situation in the region has further deteriorated after US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that American forces carried out "very successful" airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, amid growing fears of a broader conflict in the region. Following the US strikes, Iran called on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to condemn the US aggression and to hold accountable those who violate international law. Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes. Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry. – Bernama-Anadolu
