http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/donald-trump-calls-for-global-boycott-of-whisky-distiller-after-top-scot-award-given-to-anti-golf-course-campaigner-1-2676188Donald Trump calls for global boycott of whisky distiller after Top Scot award given to anti-golf course campaigner
By FRANK URQUHART
Published on Wednesday 5 December 2012 DONALD Trump today announced he is to ban all the whiskies produced by one of Scotland’s leading distillery companies in retaliation for Glenfiddich awarding its Top Scot accolade to Michael Forbes, the salmon fisherman on the Menie estate he once branded a “village idiot.”
The billionaire tycoon, who has been at loggerheads with his kilted nemesis since Mr Forbes refused to sell his home to make way for Trump’s £750 million golf resort in Aberdeenshire, is also calling for a global boycott of the whiskies produced by William Grant and Sons, branding them the “bad liquor company.”
Trump issued a statement today, announcing his ban on William Grant and Son whiskies at Trump properties after launching a vitriolic Twitter tirade against Glenfiddich, claiming the company’s decision to award Mr Forbes the “Top Scot” of the year accolade, ahead of other contenders like Billy Connolly, Andy Murray and Sir Chris Hoy, was a “publicity stunt”.
A spokesman for William Grant and Sons said: “We understand that there may have been some confusion and misunderstanding concerning the structure and running of the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.
“Working with Scotsman Publications as our media partner, Glenfiddich established the awards fifteen years ago. From the outset it was made clear that winners would be chosen by public vote.
Top Scot is a totally open category in which the people of Scotland can vote for whomsoever they choose and Glenfiddich has no influence on this decision.
“The only restriction (given that these are the Spirit of Scotland Awards) is that the nominee must be either a Scot or someone who has chosen to live and work in Scotland.
“The Top Scot may be one of that year’s category nominees or may come from any walk of life. The person receiving the greatest number of votes, cast by the people of Scotland, wins the award.”
He continued: “Throughout the awards fifteen-year history Glenfiddich and its media partner The Scotsman have always honoured the public’s decision and the individual with the most votes has received the accolade.
“In the history of these awards, we are not aware of the Top Scot award causing any offence or upset to anyone and it is not our intention to do so now. These awards were set up to give the people of Scotland a vote and we must respect their decision.”
The spokesman declined to comment on Trump’s boycott call.
The billionaire angrily tweeted: “Michael Forbes lives in a pigsty and bad liquor company Glenfiddich gave him Scot of the Year award. How could Michael Forbes get Scot of the Year when he lost—badly—to me and Andy Murray, a true Scot, who won the U.S. Open & Olympic gold? Does anyone smell publicity stunt?
“Michael Forbes is a loser who failed to stop what was just named ‘the golf course of the year’ and which has brought lots of tourism and jobs to Scotland—Scots must be very embarrassed?”
In his statement from Trump Towers the US business magnate declares: “To think that a product like Glenfiddich would recognise a man like Michael Forbes, who lives in a property which I have accurately described in the past as a total pigsty; a man who loves the attention he has gotten because of his so-called fight with Donald Trump, would receive an award over someone like Andy Murray, a Scot, Olympic Gold Medal Winner, and the first British man to win a Grand Slam title in 76 years. Glenfiddich should be ashamed of themselves for granting this award to Forbes, just for the sake of publicity.”
He claims: “Glenfiddich is upset that we created our own single malt whisky using another distillery, which offers far greater products. People at our clubs do not ask for Glenfiddich, and I make a pledge that no Trump property will ever do business with Glenfiddich or William Grant and Sons. I hereby call for a boycott on drinking Glenfiddich products because there is no way a result such as this could have been made by the Scottish people. It is an insult to both Andy Murray and Scotland itself.”
Trump continues: “Glenfiddich’s choice of Michael Forbes, as Top Scot, will go down as one of the great jokes ever played on the Scottish people and is a terrible embarrassment to Scotland. If Glenfiddich had integrity, they would investigate who voted, and would find that the votes formed part of an organised campaign with multiple votes made by a small group of detractors who are angry that they not only lost, but lost so badly.”