Trump Cancels UK Visit Amid Protest Fears
LONDON (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump has cancelled a visit to Britain next month to open the new American embassy in London, amid fears of mass protests.
Trump claimed on Twitter that the reason for calling off the trip was his displeasure at Barack Obama having sold the current embassy for "peanuts” and built a replacement for $1 billion. "Bad deal,” he wrote.
But the embassy’s plan to move from Mayfair to Nine Elms in London was first reported in October 2008, when George W. Bush was still president.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said Trump had "got the message” that many Londoners staunchly opposed his policies and actions.
"It appears that President Trump got the message from the many Londoners who love and admire America and Americans but find his policies and actions the polar opposite of our city’s values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance,” Khan said on Friday.
"His visit next month would without doubt have been met by mass peaceful protests. This just reinforces what a mistake it was for Theresa May to rush and extend an invitation of a state visit in the first place.”
The prime minister invited Trump for a state visit when she became the first world leader to visit the president in the White House a year ago. Activists immediately pledged to stage protests and MPs have said they would not give the president the opportunity to address parliament.
Instead of a state visit, it had been expected that Trump would make a brief, less formal "working visit” in February to cut the ribbon on the embassy in southwest London, and hold meetings with May. Officials had also been examining plans for Trump to meet the Queen without the pomp of a full-blown state banquet.
Government sources suggested Washington had signaled that the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, would instead open the embassy.
Trump confirmed on Twitter late on Thursday night that the trip was off. "Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for "peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars,” he wrote just before midnight local time. "Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!”
Trump claimed on Twitter that the reason for calling off the trip was his displeasure at Barack Obama having sold the current embassy for "peanuts” and built a replacement for $1 billion. "Bad deal,” he wrote.
But the embassy’s plan to move from Mayfair to Nine Elms in London was first reported in October 2008, when George W. Bush was still president.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said Trump had "got the message” that many Londoners staunchly opposed his policies and actions.
"It appears that President Trump got the message from the many Londoners who love and admire America and Americans but find his policies and actions the polar opposite of our city’s values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance,” Khan said on Friday.
"His visit next month would without doubt have been met by mass peaceful protests. This just reinforces what a mistake it was for Theresa May to rush and extend an invitation of a state visit in the first place.”
The prime minister invited Trump for a state visit when she became the first world leader to visit the president in the White House a year ago. Activists immediately pledged to stage protests and MPs have said they would not give the president the opportunity to address parliament.
Instead of a state visit, it had been expected that Trump would make a brief, less formal "working visit” in February to cut the ribbon on the embassy in southwest London, and hold meetings with May. Officials had also been examining plans for Trump to meet the Queen without the pomp of a full-blown state banquet.
Government sources suggested Washington had signaled that the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, would instead open the embassy.
Trump confirmed on Twitter late on Thursday night that the trip was off. "Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for "peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars,” he wrote just before midnight local time. "Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!”