Oh dear. As many people predicted but Trump apparently forgot to consider, he can’t go bopping off to Scotland for some golf because there’s a wee pandemic on.

US President Donald Trump — just like anyone from outside the country — would not be welcome in Scotland at the moment due to coronavirus-related restrictions, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Tuesday.

Sturgeon was asked during a news conference about unconfirmed Scottish media speculation that Trump could be planning a trip to one of his golf courses in Scotland around the time of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.

The White House is very indignant over these tyrannical rumors.

“Anonymous sources who claim to know what the President is or is not considering have no idea. When President Trump has an announcement about his plans for January 20 he will let you know,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere told CNN on Tuesday of the Scottish media speculation.

But he might lie. We can’t just wait politely for Trump to tell us what’s what, because we know he lies, and conceals, and lies some more, and makes shit up. Given what Trump is and how he carries on, we do need the press to seek independent information about his doings and plans. It’s not wrong of the press to do that. It is wrong of Trump to tell such copious and wild lies.

On Monday, Sturgeon ordered most of Scotland into a harsh new lockdown for the rest of January, as Covid-19 cases and deaths spike across the United Kingdom. The order imposes a legal requirement on Scottish residents to stay at home except for essential purposes, including caring responsibilities, essential shopping, essential exercise and being part of an extended household.

Essential exercise is going for a brisk walk, not riding a golf cart around a course.

“I have no idea what Donald Trump’s travel plans are,” Sturgeon responded. “You’ll be glad to know I hope and expect … that the travel plan that he immediately has is to exit the White House. But beyond that I don’t know.”

“We are not allowing people to come into Scotland without an essential purpose right now. And that would apply to him just as it applies to anybody else,” she added.

“Coming to play golf is not what I would consider to be an essential purpose.”

Oh but the essential purpose is not the golf, it’s the avoiding arrest.