Donald Trump's Golf War

Due to work commitments, I only got around to watching Donald Trump's Golf War last night (you can see it on the iPlayer here for the next week). Intending to blog on it, I thought I would make copious notes during the programme, but as it turns out I actually wrote the word "prick" 247 times in increasingly spidery handwriting.

Well okay, that last bit was a joke. But it was how I felt, and not just about Trump but about his entire entourage.

First off, I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by the programme. I knew the BBC would be a bit more even-handed than Channel 4 would ever be if they had made the film, but actually the Beeb decided that their story was the David v Goliath one which would be sympathetic to David. It was set up as a documentary version of Local Hero, to the extent that they even had Denis Lawson narrating it.

This was shoved down our throats a number of times - New York was portrayed as brash and noisy, and Scotland was idyllic and tranquil. Only towards the end was any rain shown!

Trump was his usual charming self. And yes, that's sarcasm. The problem with Trump is, he thinks he's being charming while not realising that he's getting folk's backs up. The programme exposed him as basically a bully who thinks that throwing money at a problem will solve it. At one point, after hearing that they had won the first planning application, he is heard on the phone laughing that Michael Forbes (one of the local residents) will be "devastated" because he could have sold out for money and Trump was withdrawing the offer. He, and later his son "Don Junior", clearly couldn't comprehend that Forbes' fight wasn't about money but about his home and livelihood.

His main oppo - until Don Junior was flown in - was George Sorial who again came across as a not very likeable man. His toys came out of the pram when they lost the second planning application, declaring to the press that if you wanted large scale business done, don't do it in the North East of Scotland. He and Trump had decided that the area needed the money too much to turn down any request that they made so couldn't understand an opposing view.

(And while I'm on the press, the reporter who rather pathetically asked "Have you worn a kilt? Have you eaten haggis?" needs to be taken round the back and beaten up before having his press pass withdrawn and his Scottish passport revoked. Talk about cringeworthy!)

As for Don Junior, slimy was the first word that sprang to mind, and that wasn't just his hair. Clearly used to privilege, I took against him when he got out of a car and wandered off, leaving the door wide open for someone else to close. And speaking of Don Junior and cars, a laugh out loud moment came near the end when someone harassed him because his driver had left the car engine running while he was in a meeting.

Trump and his team complained that the campaign against them was using "inappropriate and underhand" tactics, without realising that they were doing the same thing.

All in all it was a good programme as far as those opposing the development are concerned, and I can't imagine Trump will be pleased with it. I can't imagine the Aberdeen Evening Express will be too chuffed either, since they were painted as Trump's hitmen, but funnily enough the programme doesn't seem to get mentioned on their website yesterday.

I doubt we'll see a follow up documentary that will be quite this in-depth, as I imagine access to Trump will be withdrawn to the programme -makers, which will be a shame as the entire story needs to be told. If you want to keep up to date you can always visit the Tripping Up Trump website.