Former US President Donald Trump dubbed Nicola Sturgeon “everything wrong with identity politics” as he reacted to the news that she was resigning as First Minister.
Trump criticised the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill and cited his golf properties in the country in his statement.
The statement, which was first sent to GB News and read out by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: “Good riddance to failed woke extremist Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland!
“This crazed leftist symbolizes everything wrong with identity politics.”
“Sturgeon thought it was OK to put a biological man in a women’s prison, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Sturgeon fought for a ‘Gender Recognition Reform Bill’ that would have allowed 16-year-old children to change their gender without medical advice.
“I built the greatest golf properties in the world in Scotland, but she fought me all the way, making my job much more difficult. The wonderful people of Scotland are much better off without Sturgeon in office.”
Trump operates two golf courses in Scotland, one in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, and another at Turnberry, South Ayrshire.
Sturgeon had spoken out in strong support of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was passed by members of the Scottish Parliament in December.
The reforms included allowing trans people to obtain a gender recognition certificate without the need for a medical diagnosis and enabling 16 and 17-year-olds to apply for such a certificate for the first time, as well as reducing the amount of time a person has to live in their acquired gender before they can be granted the document.
The Bill was passed despite concerns from some politicians, women’s rights groups and others that the changes could impact on safe spaces for females, which Ms Sturgeon and her Government repeatedly rejected.
Sturgeon, Scotland’s longest running First Minister, announced her resignation on Wednesday after eight years in office.
The SNP leader said she could “no longer give the job everything it deserved” and added that “short term pressures” not to blame for her decision.
The FM said she had “wrestled” with the decision for a considerable period, but added there was a greater “intensity and brutality” of life as a leading politician in the modern era, citing the “physical and mental impact” on her as a major factor.
She added that her resignation would allow the party the best opportunity to pursue independence “without worrying about the perceived implications for [her] leadership”.
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