John Swinney congratulates Donald Trump on 2024 US election victory

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John Swinney has congratulated Donald Trump on his landslide election victory.

The First Minister urged Americans to back Kamala Harris instead of the Republican candidate last week. It came after Trump said he opposes Scottish independence. Trump declared victory on Wednesday morning as he looked set to win a majority of electoral college votes and most of the popular vote.

In a post on X Swinney wrote: “Congratulations to President-elect Trump on his election. Scotland and the USA share many social, cultural and economic links. In that relationship, we will stand fast in support of our values of fairness, democracy and equality – ideals that America was built upon.”

The SNP leader urged voters to back Harris in Holyrood last week. he said: "People in the United States of America should vote for Kamala Harris, and I've not come to that conclusion only because Donald Trump is opposed to Scottish independence."

It came after Trump - whose later mother Mary was born on the Isle of Lewis - shared his view that Scotland should remain part of the UK. Speaking with comedian Andrew Schulz on his Flagrant show, Trump discussed his Scottish mother and the Braveheart film.

He then referred to the 2014 referendum: “You know, they tried to break up Scotland from the rest of the empire, so to speak. And it made it by about like a half a point. They kept it together. So I hope it stays together. I hope it always stays together.”

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