Trump tweaks both his golf drive and hotel name before heading home to deal with a ‘disgrace’ of a case

“You think Biden can do that?” asked former US president Donald Trump after driving into the Co Clare breeze from the first tee box of his hotel and golf resort in Doonbeg.

“No way, no how!” came the enthusiastic reply from the knot of American onlookers.

“Who hits a 280 down the middle?” Trump congratulated himself. “Biden can’t hit an 80 down the middle.”

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Minutes later, Trump’s estimate of his own drive had grown to 285 yards, while his expectation for his Democratic rival’s abilities had sunk to 50 yards.

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In between, Trump had stood over a gaggle of Irish journalists and launched a blistering attack on his accuser in a civil trial alleging rape, the writer E Jean Carroll, claiming he was returning to New York to “confront” the accusation, which he says is false, despite his legal team telling the court that the defence would not be calling any witnesses.

Trump, who described himself as a “famous, rich and political person that’s leading the polls by 40 points”, was the victim of a false accusation and faced a judge – a Bill Clinton appointee – who was “extremely hostile”.

“I’m going to go back, and I’m going to confront this woman, this woman is a disgrace and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen in our country.” Framed against a slate-grey sky, his trademark Make America Great Again hat pulled tight and low, Trump called into question parts of the case against him, saying it was a “disgrace”.

“It’s a fake claim, just like all the other fake claims. Just like Russia, Russia, Russia,” he said.

Trump, who had parried questions about the case on his arrival on Wednesday evening, seemed eager to engage on it on Thursday, volunteering unprompted when leaving the golf course that he had to leave “because I have a thing going on which is a disgrace”.

Trump again mixed ferocious condemnations of his accuser with braggadocio, encouraging reporters to check with his team what he scored on the course, but suggesting he thought it was an impressive 72.

He stayed on the 18th green for some time after completing his round, discussing plans for the resort with members of his team, including his son Eric, seemingly discussing the location of a ballroom planned as part of an expansion of the hotel, as well as a tweak to the name.

“It’s called Doonbeg on the Ocean,” he said. “It’s not a new name, but we’re adding the word ‘Ocean’. Because I said to myself, ‘it’s on the ocean, if it’s on the ocean, we call it Doonbeg on the Ocean, we have the ocean, and nobody else does, so that’s what we’re calling it.”

Trump’s Irish fans continued to arrive to get a glimpse, or a photograph, with the former president. On Thursday, they included the Quinns from Cookstown, Co Tyrone – Mark, Kellie and 3½-year-old Harri-Mae had been on the road since 6am – mother and daughter sporting Trump Won T-shirts, in reference to his false claim that he lost the 2020 election due to vote rigging.

They were, Kellie said, the “biggest Trump supporters ever, and our family laughs at us so much”.

As he left the hotel for Shannon Airport, they got their photo with Trump.