US President Donald Trump has renewed his long-running opposition to offshore wind power, demanding that the UK remove wind turbines visible from his golf resort in Scotland while urging British authorities to expand oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
The latest remarks came on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, after the British government approved gas production at the Jackdaw field in the North Sea.
Trump welcomed the decision as a boost to Britain’s economy and called on the government to expand fossil fuel production. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he also demanded the removal of what he described as costly and ridiculous wind turbines. The comments have reignited a dispute that dates back more than a decade, when Trump fought a legal battle against an offshore wind farm visible from his golf resort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Trump has repeatedly argued that offshore wind turbines spoil the natural scenery surrounding his Trump International Golf Links resort near Aberdeen.
The turbines in question belong to an 11-turbine offshore wind demonstration project in Aberdeen Bay. The development became a source of controversy after Trump argued that the structures would damage the views from his property and undermine its appeal to visitors.
He challenged the project through the Scottish courts, but the UK Supreme Court rejected his legal challenge in 2015. The wind turbines were subsequently installed and became operational in 2018. Despite losing the legal battle, Trump has continued to criticise wind farms, making the Scottish dispute an early example of his broader opposition to renewable energy.
Alongside his demand to remove the turbines, Trump welcomed Britain’s decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field, located approximately 150 miles east of Aberdeen.
The project, operated by energy company Shell, is expected to increase Britain’s domestic gas production. The government estimates that output from the field could account for around 6% of domestic gas production at peak capacity.
Trump praised the approval and urged British leaders to pursue North Sea energy development more aggressively.
However, Jackdaw is primarily a natural gas and condensate project, not simply an oil field. The distinction matters because the approval concerns gas production, even as Trump uses the development to promote his wider call for increased oil and gas extraction.
The decision has also attracted criticism from environmental campaigners concerned about the climate implications of continued fossil fuel production.
Trump has consistently argued that oil and gas development offers economic benefits that wind energy cannot match. Supporters of additional North Sea drilling point to domestic energy production, jobs and reduced dependence on imported fuels.
However, the comparison is more complicated than Trump’s remarks suggest.
Wind power generates electricity without burning fossil fuels during operation, while oil and gas extraction and use produce greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy can also reduce exposure to fluctuations in international fossil fuel prices.
On the other hand, wind farms require substantial upfront investment, grid connections and infrastructure to manage variations in wind conditions. Oil and gas remain important to Britain’s energy system, particularly for heating, industry and other uses that cannot immediately be replaced by electricity.
The overall costs and benefits of each energy source depend on factors such as construction costs, fuel prices, infrastructure, reliability and environmental impacts. Consequently, removing wind turbines would not automatically guarantee cheaper energy bills or greater energy security for British households.
Trump’s opposition to the Aberdeen wind farm began long before he returned to the White House.
He purchased the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire in 2006 to develop a luxury golf resort. The offshore wind project subsequently became a major point of conflict between Trump and Scottish authorities. His legal challenge ultimately failed, but the dispute became closely associated with his broader criticism of wind power.
In recent years, Trump has repeatedly urged Britain and other European countries to increase fossil fuel production and reconsider policies designed to expand renewable energy. The latest remarks suggest that the Scottish wind farm remains a focal point of his energy policy arguments, even as the UK government continues to balance energy security, economic growth and climate commitments.
The offshore turbines remain operational, and Trump’s latest demand does not itself change their legal status. Any decision affecting the wind farm would have to be made through the relevant British and Scottish regulatory and legal processes.
Meanwhile, the approval of the Jackdaw gas project is likely to keep the debate over Britain’s future energy mix in the spotlight. Supporters of drilling see domestic production as a way to strengthen energy security, while opponents argue that long-term investment should increasingly focus on low-carbon alternatives.
For the UK, the challenge is to maintain a reliable and affordable energy supply while managing the economic and environmental consequences of its choices.
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