The Trouble with Trump Panorama

course led to o bromance between two strong men. A man world-famous for

sacking people. And Scotland's First Minister, Alex

Salmond, keen to land the project's supposed to be worth �1 billion and

jobs galore. 6,000 jobs over Scotland, that is is

a powerful argument. He has gotten people to invest in Scotland. Alex

Salmond has been fantastic. But when neither the thousands of

jobs nor the �1 billion turned up, it went sour.

Are you calling the First Minister a liar? Maybe he has a bad memory.

That is possible. He say what is is the evidence? I am the evidence.

It's been a PR disaster. You have been detained... All of

this raises questions about the judgment of the First Minister.

I'm disappointed that the plan have not gone ahead as envisaged. I hope

that they will do. And weather the Scottish Government

asked enough questions about Trump and some of the people he has done

business with in the States. Why not say you are connected with

the Mafia, you are fired? Again, Not the sands of Arabia but

Aberdeen. The site of an epic battle over a golf course between the most

famous property developer in noshg City and a few Scots who will not

move for love nor money. Welcome to the battle of the dunes.

The dunes are among the largest in the world.

I decided that in honour of my mother and in honour of Scotland we

named the dunes the Great Dunes of Scotland.

Well, actually, the Great Dunes are nowhere near the largest in the

world, or even in Britain. This place is not called the Great Dunes

either but the Menie Estate, but Donald did not like the name. So it

got fired. Fore!

# It went straight down the middle... So what makes Donald Trump

tick? I'm invited to meet him at his luxury Gulf complex in New Jersey.

Hello sir. Hello.

How are things? Everything is fine. I'm in the middle of a tournament.

See you on Tuesday. Smashing. So who is this man with

the Midas touch? One of the big magazines says that everything he

touches turning to gold. # Goldfinger.

# He's the man # The man with the Midas touch. This

man has made a fortune turning himself into a brand. There is the

Trump Property Empire. Trump Action Man. Trump jewellery, Trump Ties,

even Trump Water. So what are you buying into? It stands for quality.

We do beautiful quality jobs. We have had a great time of it. That is

why we are successful. Along the way, he is sell dumb out

of the headlines. Wife number one, famously called him

The Donald. That stuck. In the US, his aggressive business style led

him to being the host of the original The Apprentice.

You're fired... You're fired... You're fired.

This is the latest evictee from the show The Apprentice. The Donald is

doing The Donald, but like so many Americans, he is proud of his roots

in the old country. His grandfather born in Germany.

Oops, wrong old country. But his mother was from the land of

MacLeod. Well my mother was born in

Stornoway. She loved Scotland. She thought Scotland was the best. She

had great respect and love for the Queen. Her name was Mary MacLeod. I

felt strongly about doing something really good for my mother.

# When you go. # Will you send back.

# A letter from America... When the Trump's promise issed the Scottish

Government to invest, not millions but �1 billion on the golf complex,

they were greeted with open arms. First in 2005, Labour's Jack

McConnell was given a tour of Trump Tower.

This is the boss of Scotland, guys, the boss.

In 2007, Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party won the

election pt the love affair with the Trump continued. On offer, a massive

development. We are talking about several

thousand and jobs, we are talking about hundreds of millions of

investment. Really it will be something that is special for

Scotland and for this local area. The Trump plan included two golf

courses, a five-star hotel, 500 homes and 950 timeshare flats.

This was a cholesterolial planning application, covering a substantial

area of land and was controversial on the number of counts. The other

place with a great tee, is up there, it is not so direct... The deal

would show that Alex Salmond's Scotland would be open for business.

The two men met at a Global Scot dinner in 2007 at this French

restaurant in Manhattan. Everything seemed so ooh Lara.

I would say I have a very good relationship with Alex Salmond. He

didn't know me well, but we would call. We spoke to each other a

couple of times over the years. I had a decent relationship with him.

But then a vote came up, it was tied 7 - 7. Martin Ford had ast casting

vote. This was an attempt to get something

better, not an inStock Exchange to go away and not come back.

The Trump Organise suggested, either you go with our plan or we take the

money elsewhere. Then in 2007, Alex Salmond's people met Trump's people

at this hotel. Alex Salmond phone phoned Scotland's chief planner and

then phoned to set up a meeting. The next day, the Scottish Government

took over the planning decision in Edinburgh.

Aberdeenshire's "no" was called. In "no" to the golfing complex, became

yes, please, Mr Trump. Why did Alex Salmond involve himself in a

planning matter? Alex Salmond would not give a formal interview. So I

caught up with him on the road. I was there as the constituency

member of the Scottish Parliament. I had no government decision role in

the planning. I get taken out of that. No, I don't regret it I was

not a part of the decision-making. Scottish parliamentary Committee

later found the call in incompetent but the decision ounwise and

cavalier. To display poor judgment. It went on to suggest that any MSP

could get a meeting at 24 hour's notice, stretched that situation to

a breaking point. What matters is that they said that

the planning process had been properly followed. That is a fact

that is on the record. So it -- is it common for a planning

decision to be called in like this? No. Most unusual. Almost

unprecedented. How long have you been doing this?

I've been involved in planning for over 40 years.

Has there ever been a time, have you ever experienced something like

this? Never. Not in my entire career.

There was a problem. The great tunes were protected with one of the

highest possible class foreign exchanges. A site f Site of Special

Scientific Interest. That meant, not so fast. Scottish natural heritage

and others fought the Trump plan. It include included 1,000 plus homes,

and flats and farm farmland. The balance morning the constituents

is strongly in flavour. That is as we see the social and the economic

benefits. 6,000 jobs in Scotland, 1400 local and permanent jobs in the

north-east of Scotland. That is is a powerful argument. I think it

outweighs the environmental concerns.

But the 6,000 jobs was a promise, not a certainty. Battle lines were

drawn in the green corner, there were the eco warriors and some

locals. Against them, Trump and his sons.

I got busted... Local businesses and many residents on the estate. No-one

can question the Trump's love of the great outdoors.

Well shot, sir. Thank you. With these holiday snaps,

unfortunately, they caused a row, the leopard, the crocodile, the

elephant, that's its tail, you are all fired. Trump Minor looks after

Scotland as Trump Major has the reality TV series and a business

empire to run back home. What tee is this? The back tee on

14. In our humble opinion it is one of the best holes in all of golf.

But it was not just about building a course on the dunes. These three

properties were blots on the Trump landscape. The solution... Sarah, I

want to get rid of that house. will create a stir. Who cares. You

know what? Who cares? It is our property, we can do what we want. We

are trying to build the greatest course in the world. This house is

ugly. The Trumps tried to buy them, but it

did not work. We can't pay 20 times what it is not

worth. People try to make out we are throwing them ruthlessly off their

land, but that is not it at all. So if Trump could not buy them, he

would make the earth move. There are houses far away from the

course but they are in view, but we are turning the area so that you

don't see the houses. I don't want to see the houses. Nobody has a

problem with it. I guess those living in the houses have.

David Milne did not like it the bank of earth was removed and then

something new threatened the view. These are the trees planted. It is

obviously put in to block our light and reduce our enjoyment of our

home. You built trees to his property, why

did you do that? We are entitled to put things where we want to. Like

any other landscaping feature. If there is an eyesore, you can put

something there to shelter it. Susan Munro has problems with the

neighbours too. Her view of the sea has gone, but Trump security people

are on patrol 24/7. When I come home from work on an

evening, they follow me. They sit here and shine their lights. They

are still there at 2.00am. They are there all night.

How scary is that? Very scary. Because there is nothing here. There

is no street lighting. Nothing. The Trump Organisation say this is

untrue. That security is just doing its job, protecting the site from

potential intruders. But this is the sharpest thorn in

the Trump's side. This farm is slap bang in the middle

of the estate it is between Donald Trump and Michael Forbes. It is not

business it is personal. Everything that comes out of his

mouth is a lie. That is what they are saying here. Whatever he is

saying it is the opposite. I happen to be a truthful person. His

property is terribly maintained. It is slum like. It is disgusting. He

lives like a pig. The brash New Yorker had finally met

a man every bit as determined as he is. What was it like being compared

to a porker? I did not think b much about it for a time, but that was

good coming from a clone! Donald Junior does not like Mr Forbes'

family farm, either. John, does this look like a farm to

you? Well, there is a tractor. If you get that operational, I will

give you the golf course! There is no farming going on here. In the

time we have seen him here, he has not been fishing either.

But it is his home. Your father says he lives like a paying pig.

Well, you make your own conclusion. Relations between the new neighbours

got worse. Then Michael's taps ran dry.

No water. Dry. Team Trump say this was an accident.

The water was cut off? His water was cut off for six days? Unintentional?

Of course not, but again, it is part of being on a construction site.

Everyone knows this. We brought in tractors through there. There was a

clay pipe that had been there for 50 years. A heavy piece of machinery

ran over it. All of this became a PR nightmare, when one man chronicled

the goings on for a year. Anthony Baxter's film, You've Been Trumped,

tells the objector's story. He was filming on Susan Munro's

property when this happened. You have been detained under section

14... What has he done? Let go of the camera, sir.

Donald Junior believed that backster had been behaving badly.

Anthony backster was handcuffed, was he a vandal? He broke into our

offices with a camera over the shoulder, trying to question people

into a house he was not welcome to. No-one said for him to come in. In

other parts of the world it would have been handled differently.

Are you calling Donald Trump Junior a liar? I am calling him aliar. He

accused me of being a criminal. Of breaking into offices at his

father's property in Scotland. Which is completely and utterly

untrue. Backster -- ter accuses Grampian

Police, of acting like a private security force for the Trumps it is

a grave charge. In a statement the Police Scotland said that it was

unfortunate that disagreements deteriorate where the police

intervention is required but that the police service remains

completely neutral. The objective's claim that the

police and the First Minister were all back then on Trump's side. The

developer's tactics were intimidating.

Are you a bully? No, I am not a bully at all. We want to make

something great for Scotland, for myself, in honour of my mother.

Sometimes you have to be strong. Anthony's documentary turned a local

row into a national talking point. In a public vote Michael Forbes beat

off competition from Andy Murray and Mr Connery, to become Scot of the

Year. So, I'm a top pig! Look who is

snorting now! All of this would have been a farce about not very much,

perhaps, but 6,000 jobs, the five-star hotel, and the �1 billion

investment, if it materialised, but so far one golf course and a

temporary clubhouse. Panorama checked the recent accounts and

calculate that the Trumps spent not the promise promised �1 billion but

about �at 25 million. Now with the planning permission, it is worth a

lot more. At a conservative estimate it is

probably worth about �100 million. Who got the best of this deal, Trump

or Scotland? Trump. No question? No question.

So why the lack of construction? The stumbling block, according to Trump

is the plan for 11 off-shore wind turbines like these in full view of

the golf course. Trump said that Alex Salmond said it was a

non-starter. I don't want to be standing on the

first tee looking into an industrial wind turbine if I am spending this

money. He said it would never happen.

Are you sure about that? 100%. We discussed it, he said it would not

happen. I believe he denies that? I don't

know his attitude. I can't speak for him. You will have to ask him.

Are you calling the First Minister of Scotland a liar? Maybe he has a

bad memory. That is possible. First Minister refutes that.

Mr Trump and I have a well ventilated disagreement about the

energy policy of Scotland. But an investor does not have the right to

dictate the energy policy of Scotland. The energy policy of

Scotland should be decided by the Scottish Parliament, democratically

elected by the Scottish people. That is how things will remain.

In May, Trump launched a legal challenge to halt the wind turbines.

In Scotland, the bromance between the First Minister and the Donald is

well and truly over. Some of the neighbours around the golf course

think of Mr Trump as something of a bully, but here in the United

States, The Donald is something of a local hero.

So who is in the right? What is the truth about Trump? Did the Scottish

Government know enough about him before wooing him to Scotland? For

years now, doubts have been raised about Trump's true wealth. Not that

you would know it if you talked to The Donald. How much are you worth?

Well, different people say different things. I would rather not say a

number. On David Letterman you said about 9

billion. I would say that is the right

number, yes. But two years before the Scottish

Government gave its blessing to the golf course, a book claimed that

Trump's wealth was in the millions, not the billions. Trump sued,

appealed and lost again. Some believe that Trump's gold has lost

its glitter. In the 80s with the real estate,

people saw him as a serious developer, helping to transform New

York and also a larger than life personality. A bit of a clown but a

big personality. I think he has lost credibility, especially with New

Yorkers. Who used to have a soft spot for him.

Trump made a fortune in the Big Apple, making pun from real estate

and gambling, but you can't do that business here without brushing up

unsavoury characters. That includes the Mafia.

The Trump empire is centred in New York, but it has outposts across

America and around the world. Trump is happy to lend his name to

other developers for a price, but that can be a risky business.

Critics say on the Trump projects, you are often the face but not the

money. Is that true? It is true in certain cases but for the most part

I own. As I move away from New York and from the United States I do

deals with partners. Some of them are the best deals I have made. I

don't have to put up the money. such licensing deal involved this

building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Trump was the front man to

woo investors. Now The Donald and others are being sued over the

development, it never even opened after the developer went bust.

I am representing 75 purchasers of 53 units in the project to be known

as Trump International Hotel and Plaza, Fort Lauderdale. The losses,

the total deposits were about a little under $8 million. Investor

Marc Renaud thought he was buying into Trump heaven.

I was shocked. I thought that I had bought a quality product. I was

buying the Rolls-Royce of real estate. I bought a Donald Trump

elegant condo. I bought prestige, I bought the Rolls-Royce.

But Trump says he was not the developer. So not responsible.

Investors are worried about one of Trump's former financial people in

on the deal. Ex-convict, Felix Sater. In the late 90s, Felix Sater

was arrested for a Wall Street scam. He gave evidence against the mob.

Pleaded guilty and the FBI kept his role secret.

You don't exspekt to see that type of influence and character when you

are buying into this type of project. That is what we are seeing.

Felix Sater's Mafia connection came out in 2007. So how did The Donald

react to the news? Why didn't you go to Felix Sater to say you are

connected with the Mafia, you are fired? We were not the developer

there. That was a licensing deal. Your name was on it? A simple

licences deal. But your name is on it? But you are

telling me things I don't even know about. I know of Felix Sater, I know

of him and who he is. Felix Sater seems to know who Trump

is. On his profile, he claims to be a Senior Advisor to Donald Trump.

Donald Trump says that this is false. You stayed in bed, if I may

say so, with Felix Sater, and he was connected to the Mafia.

Again, John, maybe you are thick but when you have a signed contract you

cannot in this country break it. Sometimes we sign a deal, the

partner is not as good as we like but that does happen. By the way,

John, I hate to do, this but I have a group of people to meet with now.

I have to leave. One last question... Thank you.

Let me shake your hand. Thank you very much.

And things had been going so well. Questions about Trump's manner of

doing business have long been asked in the States. They have been picked

up on in Scotland. Alex Salmond says that due dill against was done by a

public inquiry. Last month Trump announced that work would start on

his second golf course but the fallout continues.

The second course is beyond the ridge... And still no sign of 6,000

jobs. Back in 2008, I am sure that many

people said many things. I know that Panorama has taken a while to catch

up with, this but this has been publicly vented. Back in 2008, John!

I am glad that Panorama have come to the story.

But the issue is five years on, where is the �1 billion investment

and where are the #,000 jobs? You talked about the 6,000 jobs but the

Trump Organisation says 200. Right now, in twirt, where is the money

and the jobs? I think with the golf course and the building and the

hotel if it goes ahead will be substantial. I'm disappointed that

the plans have not gone ahead as envisaged. I hope that they will do.

At the moment, the north-east has the worst of all worlds. We have

lost our important, valuable site and for a tiny economic benefit,

which in no way justifies the loss of that site.

You've been had? We've been had as people in authority turned out to be

incredulous, gullible or cowards. Alex Salmond may be hoping that

people will be willing to forgive and forget the Trump affair in the

run-up to next year's vote on independence. Mr Trump is sitting

with land bought for �7 million, now worth on paper, at least a cool,

�100 million. As for me, well, the search for Mr Trump's next