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 call” between Trump, 79, and Swinney took place on Monday, April 20, and “it is understood the invitation was the focus of the call.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish National Party also told the outlet, “As the First Minister has said previously, he will continue to engage with the president where it is in Scotland’s interest, but will be clear on the areas where he disagrees with actions of the U.S. administration such as on their actions in Iran.” (Swinney has served as Leader of the Scottish National Party since 2024 following a previous stint between 2000 and 2004.)
The White House banquet dinner will include King Charles III and Queen Camilla in attendance, staged as part of Charles’ first visit to the U.S. since becoming king in 2022. Buckingham Palace confirmed in March that Charles, 77, and Camilla, 78, were invited by Trump to visit the U.S.
Buckingham Palace said, per reporting by USA Today on Tuesday, that the trip “will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence.”
As for Swinney, the Scottish politician visited Trump at the White House in September 2025 to “discuss a potential deal to exempt Scotch whiskey from U.S. import tariffs,” per reporting by BBC.
One week after the visit, Swinney attended a state banquet at Windsor Castle that honored Trump.
Just two months prior, in July 2025, Trump had visited Scotland and publicly described Swinney as a “special guy” while formally opening the Trump International Scotland golf course in Aberdeenshire.
A report by Sky News at the time stated that Trump had asked Swinney to stand up and be recognized for his political contributions at the opening ceremony. “John Swinney is a terrific guy – and loves golf and loves the people of this country, and we really appreciate it,” Trump told on-site reporters before directing his praise directly to Swinney.
“You’re really a very special guy. Thank you very much for everything, John,” Trump said.
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