Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States of America and perhaps the world’s most infamous real estate mogul, has spent decades flamboyantly branding everything from hotels and casinos to golf courses with his name. He has also invested in a range of businesses beyond the world of development, ranging from fine bovine products (Trump Steaks) to education (Trump University). Less widely known is that he nearly bought Rangers Football Club.

Around the time Rangers were facing their own dire financial situation, Trump was working to push through his first Scottish golf course in the coastal village of Balmedie, just outside Aberdeen. Trump, who has Scottish roots through his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, became aware of the opportunity to bail out the Glasgow club and took a close look at their finances.

His interest appeared to be genuine and he was sort-of qualified: Trump had a background in sports franchise ownership through his tenure running the New Jersey Generals, an American football club in the short-lived United States Football league during the 1980s. He also claims to be a Presbyterian, another commonality with the historically Protestant club. In the end, though, the financial situation at Rangers was so dismal that even Trump walked away.

In 2015, Trump was linked with another club ownership bid. While on the campaign trail, rumours surfaced that he and Alessandro Proto, an Italian real estate mogul, were part of a $100m bid for Colombian powerhouse Atlético Nacional. This is, of course, the club historically associated with drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

Had Trump taken over either of the two historic clubs, would he still be in the White House today? We will never know.



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