Donald Trump loves gold. Gold is seen everywhere in photos of Trump Tower in New York. When he moved into the White House last January, he decorated it with as much gold as he could. The first thing he did was to remove the deep red curtains from the Oval Office and replaced them with gold ones.
President Trump is making headlines for demanding to ride in Queen Elizabeth's gold-plated chariot when he goes to Buckingham Palace in October. According to an article in The Times of London, Trump has put in a request to ride with Queen Elizabeth in her gold-plated carriage when he makes his first state visit.
According to officials, the White House has already put the carriage procession down the Mall on the itinerary during the president's first state visit.
Trump's visit to England
People can't believe that the president is so insistent on riding in Queen Elizabeth's chariot. Because of his unusual request, the queen and her security team, as well as Trump's own security team, are left baffled because the gold-plated chariot offers no protection against a grenade or similar weapons. The ride from the Royal Mews down The Mall to Buckingham Palace would be a very slow and a very exposed ride in a flimsy vehicle pulled by horses.
Observers say Trump wants to be like his idol, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rode in the queen's carriage in 2003 and Chinese President Xi Jinping who rode in the royal gold carriage during his 2015 visit.
The President’s limo
The President’s limousine is a much better choice for the ride to Buckingham Palace. It is much heavier than the horse-drawn carriage. The limo with its bullet-proof glass and thick doors offers much more protection. The vehicle is much faster and less likely to tip over. The fully-protected car provides a safer ride than a chariot ride.
Former President Barack Obama was safe in the limo when he visited Queen Elizabeth.
Officials say the Britains aren't happy about Donald Trump's request. They think it isn't right for him to put the burden of his safety on the queen's security team. Besides, the queen's gold-plated chariot is for ceremonial rides and not for serious protection as the president's limousine was built for.
Trump is not particularly popular in the United Kingdom, and there were several petitions to ban him from their country and to deny him a state visit. Residents think there might be anti-Trump protests and will make his visit a security risk for them. Do you think President Trump will change his mind and ride in the President's limousine that is much safer?
