White House has dismissed reports in a section of the media that the State Visit of US President Donald Trump to the United Kingdom could be delayed because he could face protests. The media report apparently made reference to a conversation held between Donald Trump and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and his uneasiness was evident during the conversation. An adviser of Downing Street is believed to have been present at the time.
However, a senior official of the Trump administration has admitted that the two leaders did speak in the aftermath of the British general election but reiterated that the subject (of the visit) was not discussed.
Speculations rife
CNN reports that there is no official communication about the state visit and a spokesman of Downing Street clarified that the Queen had extended an invitation to President Donald Trump to visit the UK and that plan remains unchanged. Prime Minister Theresa May had, accordingly, extended the invitation to the President of the United States on behalf of the Queen just after Trump took over the reins.
Incidentally, the move earned criticism at that time and subsequently, Trump’s popularity has taken a beating especially after the London Bridge terror attack. A Twitter war ensued on the subject between him and Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London and it was condemned by all sections of people.
It escalated to such an extent that the Mayor even went to the extent of requesting the British government to cancel the proposed visit.
The speculations about the possibility of postponing the state visit have cropped up because there is a downward trend in the popularity graph of the President.
Fate of the state visit
The result of the election in Britain has come as a huge setback for Theresa May who is now fighting for political survival and the state visit of Donald Trump would have taken a back seat among her immediate priorities.
Apart from the Mayor of London, the opposition Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has also extended support for cancellation of the proposed trip and has brought up the point of Trump withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.
Moreover, in the month of February, an online petition to cancel the visit had got nearly two million signatures and it was an indication of the mood of the British.
Of course, the government rejected the online petition bit the damage was done.
America is a super power and its leader holds an important position among world leaders. However, President Donald Trump appears to have different views on various subjects and is facing hurdles at every step. He is a businessman at heart and looks at situations in a different perspective that may not match with the perception of others. He has to win over friends and influence people and not alienate them.
