Sarah Malone, executive Vice President of Trump International Scotland, appeared in a rare speaking engagement on Thursday at a controversial evangelical church with ties to Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).
It is the first time an employee of the Trump Organization, beyond President Trump's adult children, has given a public address since his inauguration, reports The Scotsman.
Malone was plucked from relative obscurity by Donald Trump in 2012 to serve as Vice President for his controversial golf development on Scotland's Aberdeen coast. She had no previous experience at the time with real estate developments or golf.
She is currently overseeing a major $200M expansion of Trump's inaugural resort in Scotland. Malone suggested that the president's personal liberties and freedoms have been curtailed because he cannot visit his Scottish properties to play golf when he wants.
According to Trump Golf Count, the president has made 223 daytime visits to a golf course since his inauguration in 2017. All visits except two have been at Trump-owned properties.
Malone addressed an audience of over 100 people at Destiny Church in Glasgow. The Church of Scotland banned Destiny Church from using their properties in 2018 after hosting a conference there promoting extremist views.
That conference included a preacher who encouraged women to shoot people in Jesus' name, an evangelical pastor who claimed to cure cancer and the founder of Destiny Church, Andrew Owen, saying it's possible to raise people from the dead through the power of prayer.
During Malone's talk, Owen—host of the evening's talk—asked her how the presidency has impacted the Trump Organization.
"Obviously, as a paid executive I have to be careful," she responded.
"The reality is, because of the emoluments act, many of the foreign investments and opportunities—and there's lots of stuff in the business proper, as it were, across the globe—everything was put on hold."
Malone, who Trump has referred to as the "Queen of Scotland," revealed that she looks after over $900M worth of business at the Aberdeenshire Golf Resort and Hotel, which has not turned a profit since opening in 2012.
She also said the Aberdeenshire resort was one of the only projects they could continue developing because it was already underway when he became president.
The Scotsman, however, reported in early October that the Trump Organization tried—and failed—to have land surrounding its Southwest property rezoned to make room for housing and luxury villas.
Malone also reflected on the importance of her faith, stating "When you give yourself over to the Lord, he takes you down paths that are often daunting."
Her husband, Damien Bates, a former journalist who now works as a lobbyist and public affairs executive, also spoke and had nothing but support for Trump.
"The presidency has cost Trump immeasurably in terms of lost business," Bates said, putting the figure at "billions." He then said it was more like "hundreds of millions in dollars."
Bates went on: "I mean, in the long run, his name is in history, maybe for the right reasons or the wrong reasons. Financially, it's cost him dearly."
In response to a question from Owen, Bates referenced his journalism experience to encourage those in attendance to seek out alternative news sources.
"You should always try and find a different take," he said, then recommended the government-funded television channel, Russia Today.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
