TRUMP REACTION
HOPES OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH BRITAIN AS CONTROVERSIAL POLITICAN COMPLETES HIS INAUGURATION AND BECOMES THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD
As the eyes of the political world focussed on Donald Trump’s inauguration, the ‘other’ Washington delivered its verdict on what we can expect from the 45th and latest President of the United States of America.
We took to the streets of our Washington – which has ancestral links to the first US President George Washington – to see what people think of a man whose election victory continues to send shockwaves around the globe.
And many of those the Echo spoke to expressed a hope President Trump would enjoy a good relationship with Britain.
Grandparents Terry Henderson and Sheila TroupHenderson run Ye Olde Cop Shop Guest House on The Green, in Washington Village.
Terry said: “He seems an interesting character, it will be interesting. He is certainly a person you can’t ignore.
“Hopefully ,he’s going to be very successful.
“You can’t be against him without knowing what he does.”
Sheila said: “I just hope he does well.”
The guest house is now for sale as Sheila 74, and Terry, 76, want to retire after 31 years, otherwise the couple say they would love to host Trump.
Terry said: “He should come and stay. I wouldn’t charge him.”
Sheila added: “I think it’s about time one of them came over. We had President Carter here. He came and planted a tree outside.”
The pair, who have been married for 55 years, are keen travellers, having visited the United States more than a dozen times.
Sheila said: “We love it there, we’ve been 14 times, but we’ve never been to Washington DC.
Terry added: “We’ve been to New York more times than we’ve been to Newcastle. Whether Donald will invite us over, I don’t know,”
David Gleghorn, 58, was less enthused. The sawmill worker from Dipton, who was in Washington for a funeral, said: “He’s a risk. I just think he’s a liability. He will cause a war somewhere, I don’t trust him. He is going to be the most powerful man in the world now and he’s never been a politician. He’s the wrong person for the job.”
George Luke, 54, a gas engineer from Seaham Harbour, who was having a meal with his family in the Cross Keys, said: “He is a straight-talking guy. He wouldn’t go around the world to get to a point, he says it as it is.
“We seem to bend over backwards for everybody else except our own.
“Trump would never do that. It’s about time our Government listened to him.
“We put people in other countries before our own old people. The NHS wouldn’t be in such a state if we spent the money here instead of sending it abroad.
“I don’t mind helping people who really need it, but we can’t afford to send millions and millions to countries who don’t need it.”
George said he thought Trump’s presidency would benefit the UK.
“We will be able to trade with them,” he said, but add-
ed: “I have some reservations because of some of the things you hear read about him, but are they true? I don’t know.”
Gowan Allison, 69, was born in Washington Village, but now lives in Concord.
The retired bricklayer said: “I think he’s champion – a breath of fresh air – what they need. We’ll be better off as well.”
Retired factory team leader David Barron, 63, from Concord, said: “I agree with his stance on immigration.”
When asked about Trump’s proposal for a Mexican wall, he said: “In theory it sounds good but I don’t think it’s practical.
“We already have a wall, it’s called Hadrian’s Wall.
“With his mother being born in Scotland, I think he’s got a soft spot for the British.”