THE APPRENTICES
THE NINTH HOLE OF THE AILSA COURSE AT Turnberry is one of golf’s glittering jewels, a cliffside par 3 with a tee shot over crashing waves toward a lighthouse built on the remains of a 13th century castle. The strip of Scottish coastline is so pretty, you can almost fathom why Donald Trump is standing here, an ocean away from the nearest gettable voter, at the worst possible time.
Back home, his party is mulling revolt. Here in Scotland, he has blundered into a black-swan moment, arriving this crisp June morning just hours after the U.K. elected to bolt from the European Union—a world-altering gamble he egged on. Red golf balls emblazoned with swastikas are scattered at his feet, courtesy of a prankster. But Trump doesn’t want to talk GOP infighting or geopolitical turmoil. He wants to talk legacy. Turnberry is the 10th Trump property to which he’s dragged the cameras during his presidential campaign cum promotional tour. Only this time he isn’t here simply to plug a golf course. “You know why I’m here?” he tells the cameras for the third time. “Because I support my children.”
They are standing over his left shoulder, a portrait of solidarity. Trump’s three eldest kids—Donald Jr., 38; Ivanka, 34; and Eric, 32—are executive vice presidents at the Trump Organization. All have spent nearly their entire professional lives working for their father, rising to oversee the acquisition, development and operation of luxury hotels, office towers and resorts around the world. But these days, tending the family real estate business isn’t their biggest job.
