Donald Trump has been sharing his thoughts on Sir Sean Connery following his death at the age of 90.
The James Bond actor’s family confirmed he had died on Saturday, and on Sunday the US president took to Twitter to remember the acting legend.
Starting off by describing the Scottish star as a “great actor and an even greater man”, the president, who is up for re-election this week, then reminisced about a time the actor allegedly helped him win planning for a controversial development.
In 2007 Trump’s plans to build a luxury golf resort on the Menie Estate near Balmedie in Scotland were thrown into disarray, when Aberdeenshire Council refused to grant him planning permission for the project.
The Scottish Government then “called in” the planning decision, and in November 2008 ministers approved the development, as they said it would have “significant economic and social benefit”.
In a tweet, the president said the involvement of the 007 star had been key to him getting the green light.
“The legendary actor, 007 Sean Connery, has past (sic) on to even greener fairways,” he tweeted. “He was quite a guy, and a tough character.
“I was having a very hard time getting approvals for a big development in Scotland when Sean stepped in and shouted, ‘Let him build the damn thing’. That was all I needed, everything went swimmingly from there.”
Trump added: “He was so highly regarded and respected in Scotland and beyond that years of future turmoil was avoided. Sean was a great actor and an even greater man. Sincere condolences to his family!”
Sir Sean’s wife has revealed her husband’s final months were blighted by dementia but the actor “got his final wish to slip away without fuss”.
Micheline Roquebrune, who was married to Sir Sean for 45 years, told the Daily Mail that he had died peacefully in his sleep.
“He had dementia and it took its toll on him,” she said. “He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss.
“It was no life for him. He was not able to express himself latterly. At least he died in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away. It was what he wanted.
The 91-year-old Moroccan-French painter, who met the Sean in 1970 at a golf tournament and became his second wife, added: “He was gorgeous and we had a wonderful life together. He was a model of a man.
“It is going to be very hard without him, I know that. But it could not last forever and he went peacefully.”
