Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may still travel to Ireland on his transatlantic trip to visit his golf courses in Scotland next week, according to his spokeswoman.
Mr Trump’s campaign released a travel schedule for a charter plane ferrying reporters planning to cover his visit on Tuesday night. The itinerary showed only direct flights to and from Scotland and internal flights within Scotland to visit his two golf courses. There was no mention of his stop in Ireland.
"We haven't put out the full schedule yet We may still be stopping in Ireland. We just don't know yet," Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks told The Irish Times.
Earlier reports on Tuesday on US website Irish Central said the Irish leg of the Trump’s planned visit had been dropped.
Mr Trump announced earlier this month that he would travel to Ireland and Scotland between June 22nd and 25th to visit his golf resorts at Turnberry and Aberdeen in Scotland and then his course at Doonbeg in Co Clare.
The updated schedule released by his campaign on Tuesday night for the charter plane transporting media on his trip showed a revised travel itinerary running from June 23rd to 25th only and detailed just a visit to Scotland.
The proposed press charter itinerary showed a flight from New York to Prestwick in Scotland on June 23rd, a flight from Prestwick to Aberdeen on June 25th and then a flight from Aberdeen to New York later that day.
Muslim immigrants
Mr Trump's proposal to ban Muslim immigrants from the United States and to build a wall along the southern US border with Mexico, along with his anti-immigrant rhetoric, have been condemned at home and abroad.
An Irish “Trump Not Welcome” group, a coalition of political and interest groups including the Anti Austerity Alliance, People Before Profit and United Against Racism planned to hold demonstrations against the billionaire’s visit.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil that the Republican candidate’s remarks on immigration were “racist and dangerous”, later causing a headache for Mr Kenny when it emerged that Mr Trump was going to visit Ireland.
Shortly after his trip was announced, the property developer’s spokeswoman refused to rule out the possibility that he might seek to meet Mr Kenny on his visit.
Ms Hicks declined to comment on the Taoiseach’s remarks.
The Government viewed Mr Trump’s visit as a private trip and said that they did not expect the New York businessman to seek a meeting with Mr Kenny but the Taoiseach later said that he would be happy to meet Mr Trump.
Socialist Party TD Paul Murphy described as “a bit shocking” Mr Kenny’s willingness to meet the billionaire, whose bombastic campaign has divided the Republican Party and polarised public opinion in the United States.
