Trump’s whirlwind tour of chaos
The US leader heads into his meeting with the Queen having launched a scathing attack on Britain’s PM, writes Jonathan Lemire
Donald Trump had his host in mind as he dished up a fresh dose of chaos on his tour of Europe. Having left behind a contentious Nato gathering in Brussels, the US President arrived in Britain, where a pomp-filled welcome ceremony was soon overshadowed by an interview in which he blasted Prime Minister Theresa May, blamed London’s mayor for terror attacks and argued that Europe was “losing its culture” because of immigration.
Trump, in an interview with The Sun newspaper, said he felt unwelcome in London because of protests, including plans to fly a giant balloon over Parliament overnight that depicts him as an angry baby in a diaper.
“I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London,” he said.
Trump, in the interview given before he left Brussels for Britain, accused May of ruining what her country stands to gain from the Brexit vote to leave the European Union. He said her former Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, would make an “excellent” Prime Minister, speaking just days after Johnson resigned his position in protest over May’s Brexit plans.
Trump added that May’s “soft” blueprint for Britain’s future dealings with the EU would probably “kill” any future trade deals with the United States.
“If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the UK, so it will probably kill the deal,” Trump told the paper.
Trump, who has compared his own election to the June 2016 referendum in which a majority of British voters supported leaving the EU, complained that: “The deal she is striking is a much different deal than the one the people voted on.”
He also told the tabloid that he’d shared advice with May during Britain’s negotiations with the EU and she ignored it.
Details from Trump’s interview with the paper became public as Trump was attending a black-tie dinner with May to welcome him to Britain with pomp and pageantry.
As for Johnson, Trump said: “I think he would be a great prime minister. I think he’s got what it takes.” He added, “I think he is a great representative for your country.”
Yesterday, hundreds of demonstrators chanted outside the US ambassador’s residence where Trump was staying on the outskirts of London, providing a preview of the forceful protests expected overnight.
Trump acknowledged he didn’t feel welcome in the city, and blamed that in part on Mayor Sadiq Khan, who gave protesters permission to fly the 6m-tall balloon depicting Trump as an angry baby.
Trump also blamed recent terrorist attacks there on Khan, who is a Muslim. The President claimed Europe is “losing its culture” because of immigration from the Middle East and Africa.
“Allowing the immigration to take place in Europe is a sham,” he said. “I think it changed the fabric of Europe and, unless you act very quickly, it’s never going to be what it was and I don’t mean that in a positive way.”
In sharp contrast to the President’s sharp words, Trump’s first event in England was an oasis of warm greetings at an evening reception at Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, the British leader cited by the President as a model of leadership. That was just one of several helicopter rides on the agenda for Trump, whose staff opted to keep him largely out of central London and the swarms of demonstrators who were expected to provide some of the defining images of his first official trip to Britain.
Trump’s Marine One departure from the ambassador’s residence was met by jeers from demonstrators banging pots and pans, and another pack of protesters lined roads near the palace. Some of their signs read: “Lock Him Up”, and “There Will Be Hell Toupee”. Police worked overtime, their days off cancelled.
Trump was greeted at the palace by May, whose Government has been rocked by resignations from ongoing tumult over Brexit.
The outdoor arrival ceremony at Blenheim — Trump wore a tuxedo and first lady Melania Trump a butteryellow, chiffon off-the-shoulder gown — was a grand affair marked by a military band in bearskin hats and hundreds of business leaders.
The mood was far less jovial in Belgium before his departure.
During his 28 hours there, Trump had disparaged long-time Nato allies, cast doubt on his commitment to the mutual-defence organisation and sent the 29-member pact into a frenzied emergency session.
Then, in a head-snapping pivot at the end, he declared the alliance a “fine-tuned machine” that had
I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London. Donald Trump
acceded to his demands to speed up increases in military spending to relieve pressure on the US budget.
But there was little evidence other leaders had bowed to his wishes on that front.
Trump claimed member nations had agreed to boost their defence budgets significantly and reaffirmed — after days of griping that the US was being taken advantage of by its allies — that the US remains faithful to the accord.
“The United States’ commitment to Nato remains very strong,” Trump told reporters at a surprise news conference following an emergency session of Nato members held to address his threats.
Neither Trump nor Nato offered specifics on what Trump said he had achieved.
French President Emmanuel Macron quickly disputed Trump’s claim that Nato allies had agreed to boost defence spending beyond their existing goal of 2 per cent of gross domestic product by 2024.
“There is a communique that was published yesterday; it’s very detailed,” Macron said. “It confirms the goal of 2 per cent by 2024. That’s all.”