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Swinney Turns Down Trump Invitation to White House State Banquet

On Monday, President Donald Trump called Scottish First Minister John Swinney to invite him to a State Banquet at the White House next week, but Swinney declined due to ongoing Holyrood election campaigning.
Swinney and Trump have met several times previously, including a September 2025 Oval Office discussion and a dinner at the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire focused on Scotch whisky trade.
A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed the First Minister "politely declined the invitation" as the event falls during campaigning for next month's Holyrood elections, demanding his full attention.
Policy disagreements persist over Iran, which Swinney described as a "threat of genocide," though he maintains he will engage with the president where it serves Scotland's interests.
The State Banquet remains scheduled for next week as part of the King and Queen's forthcoming state visit to Washington, proceeding as planned despite some domestic opposition.

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First Minister of Scotland John Swinney Denies Donald Trump’s Invite to White House Banquet

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney declined an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend a White House state banquet. A spokesperson for the Scottish government told The Independent on Tuesday, April 21, that Swinney, 62, had “politely declined” a seat at the Tuesday, April 28, event as the timing clashed with his campaigning efforts ahead of May’s Holyrood elections in Scotland. The outlet also reported that a “four-minute phone cal…

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