Donald Trump has suggested there should be 50 or 75 years between referendums on Scottish independence, telling journalists a country “can’t go through that too much”.
The US President was speaking after John Swinney set out his trigger for a second vote on the constitution.
The First Minister said the precedent set by the SNP’s 2011 election victory, when they won an unprecedented majority in Holyrood, would break the “logjam”.
He said there should be a “legal referendum recognised by all” on Scottish independence if the SNP manages the same feat at next year’s Holyrood election.
“We demonstrated how we break the logjam in the past, by electing a majority of SNP MSPs in 2011, and that led to an independence referendum in 2014,” he told reporters.
He invited supporters of independence to back his party in the constituency vote and to “demand independence” in the regional vote.
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Asked about the plan during a press conference at Turnberry, the President said he did not want to “get involved” in Britain’s domestic politics.
“We got enough politics of our own,” he added.
The US commander-in-chief claimed he had correctly predicted the result of the 2014 referendum, in which 55% of Scots voted No to independence.
He also referred to the suggestion that such a referendum could only take place once in a generation.
He told journalists: “I do say that when they made that deal, somebody said that it was – and I remember this very distinctly, I said, ‘Could they do this all the time?’ – there was a little bit of a restriction, like 50 or 75 years before you could take another vote. Because, you know, a country can’t go through that too much.”
Mr Trump said he did not know Mr Swinney, but added: “I’ve spoken to him. I hear very good things about him, and I’m meeting him today, so maybe I’ll have a better opinion then.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer insisted Scotland was better off within the UK.
The Prime Minister told journalists: “I believe in a stronger Scotland in a better United Kingdom. I think that at a time like this, when it’s quite clear that there’s uncertainty and volatility around the world, the strength of the United Kingdom together is very important for all four nations – very important for Scotland.
“That should be our priority, that should be our focus – not on the politics which feels like the politics of yesteryear now, at a time like this.
“I think the First Minister should probably focus more on his delivery in Scotland than on his constitutional issues, and we might have a better health service in Scotland.
“At a time like this, I think the United Kingdom is always stronger as four nations. I think that’s better for all four nations. I think that’s how Scotland is stronger.”
Mr Swinney's proposal has also been criticised by other independence supporters. Scottish Greens leadership contender Ross Greer calling it "a plan for self-preservation by the [[SNP]]", not a strategy for independence.
Mr Swinney and Sir Keir both attended a dinner with the President in Aberdeenshire on Monday evening.
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