Donald Trump Reportedly Insists Golden Carriage Ride In London Visit, White House: ‘It’s Completely False’
Looks like U.S. President Donald Trump will not settle for less as rumors arise that he insists on having a golden carriage ride in his upcoming visit to London.
According to The Times of London, Trump, who was scheduled to meet Queen Elizabeth II in the second week of October, opted to proceed with a golden carriage procession down to the Mall. Apparently, the said motorcade is an “essential element of the itinerary” for the upcoming visit, despite security concerns.
In addition, the security sources also gave out a warning that Trump’s procession will require a “monster” security operation, far greater than any recent state visit. It was revealed that the Metropolitan Police was already making preparations for the said event, especially since it is considered as the biggest public order operation in several years.
Trump’s London visit is also expected to draw tens of thousands of people in the area to protest, reports claim. Apparently, senior police have been anticipating such thing to happen, thus making necessary preparations to achieve “a balance between Trump’s security and allowing the public’s right to demonstrate.”
President Donald Trump’s alleged decision of using a golden carriage instead of a bullet and a bomb-proof car that was used by other world leaders poses a big problem, especially to his security. The carriage may look fancy but it is not as safe as the suggested vehicle, reports claim.
“The vehicle which carries the president of the United States is a spectacular vehicle,” a source revealed. “It is designed to withstand a massive attack like a low-level rocket grenade. If he’s in that vehicle he is incredibly well protected and on top of that, it can travel at enormous speed. If he is in a golden coach being dragged up the Mall by a couple of horses, the risk factor is dramatically increased. There may well be protections in that coach such as bulletproof glass, but they are limited. In particular, it is very flimsy.”
“It would not be able to put up much resistance in the face of a rocket propelled grenade or high-powered ammunition. Armour-piercing rounds would make a very bad show of things.”
In 2011, former president Barack Obama visited Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. During his visit, Obama had a slight change in protocol as he arrived in an armored motorcade. On the other hand, Chinese President Xi Jinping opted for a closed carriage from the Royal Mews for his ceremonial ride with the royal highness.
Meanwhile, the White House was quick to dismiss the said claims. A spokeswoman set the record straight to People, calling the report “completely false.”
“We have not even begun working on details for this trip.”
President Donald Trump’s impending visit to the U.K. is expected to be bombarded with controversy. It can be recalled that when Queen Elizabeth II formally invited Trump for a state visit, it did not sit well with many British people. This is despite the fact that it was a standard invitation from the Queen for American presidents.
Apparently, people in the U.K. were so upset that they launched a petition to ban Trump from visiting. According to reports, the said appeal gathered 1 million signatures from people supporting the ban. However, it was revealed that they really cannot ban the POTUS from visiting the country. With that, petitioners wanted to make the visit unofficial to spare the Queen from “embarrassment.”
Many are also anticipating Trump’s meeting with other senior members of the royal family, who are usually present during significant events like state visits. There were claims that the meeting might be awkward for Trump considering his previous issues with other members of the royal family.
It can be recalled that the president faced controversies after he allegedly said he didn’t want to be “lectured” by Prince Charles. The two leaders have different views on certain policies, particularly climate change. Trump also made some “not-so-polite” remarks about Princess Kate and the late Princess Diana, reports claim.
[Featured Image by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images]
