Brian Cox: Succession star brands Donald Trump's Scottish independence referendum comments as 'bollocks'

Asked about independence during his four-day visit to Scotland, Mr Trump initially said: “I don’t want to get involved in your politics. We’ve got enough politics of our own.”

But when pressed on the prospect of a second referendum, the US President added: “I do say that when they made that deal, somebody said that it was - and I remember this very distinctly, I said ‘could they do this all the time?’. There was a little bit of a restriction like 50 or 75 years before you could take another vote. Because you know, a country can’t go through that too much.”

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Cox, who is an outspoken supporter of independence, hit back in an interview with Sky News, describing Mr Trump as “that idiot in America".

The 79-year-old actor said: "He's talking bollocks. I'm sorry, but he does. It's rubbish.

“Let's get on with it and let's get it [independence] done. We can do it.

"It's been tough as there's a great deal of undermining that has gone on."

Cox is preparing to return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade. He will play a starring role in new play, Make It Happen, about the part played by the Royal Bank of Scotland, led by Fred “The Shred” Goodwin, in the 2008 financial crash.

The Emmy Award-winning actor said Operation Branchform - the police investigation into SNP finances - had done "enormous harm" to both the party and the independence movement more widely.

His comments come as First Minister John Swinney presses ahead with a new strategy for independence.

The first point of a three-part plan outlined by Mr Swinney, who has been under pressure since the SNP lost in June the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election to up his push for independence, focuses on increasing support for leaving the UK.

The second point of his new plan, the First Minister said, was to put pressure on Westminster. The third point of the strategy is to deliver an "emphatic win" for the SNP in next year's Holyrood election.

Mr Trump was also asked, while departing Scotland on Air Force One, if he could become first minister in future.

The US President said Scotland has “a very good First Minister right now”. But put to him that he "could do it", the President said: "I could do that. I might be eligible. I could be within six months or something.”