NICOLA Sturgeon has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the race to become the next President of the United States, after revealing that she found her likely opponent Donald Trump's views "abhorrent".
The First Minister, addressing an audience of young voters in a question and answer session in Edinburgh, declared that she would break a diplomatic convention which states political leaders should not comment on elections in other countries.
She said she "really hoped" Mr Trump did not become the President, with the businessman and reality TV star seen as the overwhelming favourite to secure the Republican nomination and Ms Clinton almost certain to become the Democratic Party candidate.
Ms Sturgeon, asked whether she would welcome Mr Trump to Scotland if he won the Presidential election in November, said: "It's not up to me, it's not up to us, it's up to the people of America. All I'd say is [as the] first woman First Minister it would be nice at some point to have the first woman president of America as well. But that's a personal opinion.
"I find many of Donald Trump's views really abhorrent. Particularly the views he's expressed about the Muslim community. So it's up to America, I hope and actually believe that the good sense of the American people - a great country, great people - will prevail here and we won't have the particular issue to confront that you spoke about. So let's keep our fingers crossed."
Ms Sturgeon previously stripped Mr Trump of his status as an international trade ambassador for Scotland, an honour that was bestowed on him by Labour First Minister Jack McConnell in 2006. The move, in December, came before he blew away his opponents in many states' primary contests making him the clear frontrunner to secure the Republican nomination.
He was previously courted by Alex Salmond, with the Scottish Government intervening in controversial plans to build a golf course and luxury hotel in Aberdeenshire, before the pair fell out over an offshore wind farm.
Ms Sturgeon's endorsement for the former First Lady came despite her rival Bernie Sanders being favoured by UK based members of the Democratic Party, who are also entitled to cast a vote for their favoured candidate.
Mr Sanders, a Vermont senator, picked up 2,874 votes to 1,726 for Ms Clinton in the UK. Overall in the Democrats Abroad primary, which included voters in 38 countries, Mr Sanders won 69 per cent of the vote, compared to 31 per cent for Ms Clinton.
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