John Swinney Rejects Trump’s White House Invitation in Brief Call
First Minister John Swinney took a four-minute phone call from the US president on Monday, April 20. He declined the White House invitation because campaigning for next month’s Holyrood elections is underway.
Details of the call and response
The call focused on an invitation to a state banquet in Washington. Swinney answered in his capacity as First Minister during the campaign.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said the First Minister politely turned down the invitation. They cited the election as the reason for declining.
State banquet and royal visit
The banquet is linked to the King and Queen’s forthcoming state visit to the United States. That state visit to Washington remains scheduled for the end of the month despite some domestic objections.
Members of the UK Government have expressed concern about current foreign policy issues. Yet officials say the royal engagements will proceed as planned.
Previous contacts between Swinney and Trump
Swinney and President Trump have met on several occasions. They first met in June 2025 during Trump’s visit to Scotland.
They held a more formal meeting the following day at Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf club. Discussions covered Scotch whisky tariffs and the situation in Gaza.
The First Minister later met Trump in the Oval Office in September 2025. That session followed meetings with representatives of the whisky industry and lasted about 30 minutes.
Political context and reactions
The phone call arrived amid strained transatlantic ties over the Middle East conflict. The US president has repeatedly criticised Nato allies, including the UK, over support for military action against Iran.
Domestically, Chancellor Rachel Reeves condemned the US-Israeli offensive as a “folly.” Swinney also publicly urged the UK Government to respond to a recent threatening remark by the US president.
Swinney described the comment about eradicating Iran as a threat of genocide. The president faced widespread condemnation after saying “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Tehran did not comply.
John Swinney rejected the White House invitation after that brief call with President Trump. Filmogaz.com reported on the exchanges and the wider political context.
