Trump Arrives For UK Visit, Criticizes May’s Brexit Proposal, Waves Away Protesters
President Trump and his wife, first lady Melania, have landed in the UK for his premiere trip while serving as president, according to The Telegraph.
Following a NATO summit held in Belgium in which he was able to get the other member states to agree to step up to contribute their promised amount to the joint effort, Trump seems to be riding a small wave of political success as reported by the Inquisitr. Not all member states have agreed to up their previously promised contributions, however, with Canada being a notable example, according to the CBC.
Just a bit over an hour before Air Force One touched down on British soil at Stansted Airport, Trump was put to a few questions on the matter surrounding his thoughts on Prime Minister Theresa May’s suggested “soft” Brexit plan.
His response was somewhat evasive but seemed to lie on the side of critique, asking if what was being offered up by the British Conservative Party was in actuality what was promised to the victorious Leave voters during the massive referendum on the subject held in June of 2016.
“I would say Brexit is Brexit. The people voted to break it up so I would imagine that’s what they would do, but maybe they’re taking a different route – I don’t know if that is what they voted for.”
The Leave vote captured a slim majority, with 51.9 of the participating electorate supporting British independence from the European Union, bearing a whopping 77 percent turnout. Since then, moves to actually make the will of the people into law have been hampered at every turn, including what is seen as a major move of compromise by May as she faces internal and external political pressures.
May’s “chequers plan” as it is commonly known has resulted in the resignation of British conservative politicians Boris Johnson and David Davis and a resurgence of populist anger over what these voters perceive to be a capitulation and betrayal of their electorally expressed interests, according to The Guardian.
#AirForceOne touches down at London Stansted Airport @POTUS @FLOTUS pic.twitter.com/LPab2N6CkK
— London Stansted Airport (@STN_Airport) July 12, 2018
Trump suggested that he’d prefer the matter was dealt with expediently, though he offered the caveat that ultimately, Brexit was not under his purview as leader of the American people, not the British, advising them that they had problems of their own to contend with, primarily regarding immigration policy. Waving away any concern about protesters on either side of the Atlantic, Trump seemed to take it all in stride, dismissing them as almost an afterthought.
“Sure, there’ll be protests because there are always protests. Hey, there were protests the night of the [US 2016] election both ways… I believe that the people in the UK … like me a lot and they agree with me on immigration. And I think that’s why you have Brexit in the first place, because of immigration.”
Euroskeptics and Leave voters appear to remain adamantly opposed to May’s plan, meaning that legislative turmoil is sure to erupt with or without the aid of the American president and his brand of populist politics.
Prime Minister May will be hosting the Trumps at an elaborate dinner this evening held in Blenheim Palace.
