President Donald Trump praised the “eternal friendship” between the UK and US on day one of his three-day visit to the UK.
During a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, the US president praised the Queen as a “great, great woman” who embodied “the spirit of dignity, duty, and patriotism that beats proudly in every British heart”.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Earlier, his official welcome at the Palace included royal gun salutes fired from nearby Green Park and from the Tower of London. Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
He also visited Westminster Abbey, where he laid a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior.
The trip had got off to a rocky start, as Trump launched an attack on the mayor of London as he arrived in the UK. Within moments of his plane landing, he tweeted that Sadiq Khan was a “stone cold loser”.
The Guardian says the that by the time he arrived at Buckingham Palace, however, he was “wreathed in smiles”. There, it continues, “two dynasties, one ancient, one fledgling” dined together.
However, according to The Times, Trump “stepped out on to the Palace lawn from his helicopter with the stiff awkwardness of a long demobbed Action Man figure... The Queen turned Donald Trump into a schoolboy on best behaviour”. Referring to the pair's handshake, it said: “it was almost dainty”.
The Daily Telegraph says the Royal Family deployed their most charming hosting skills for America’s “First Family”. The BBC focused on the benefits for Trump back home, saying: “He gets the pictures and the pageantry that he wants and will look good in his re-election campaign next year, and he gets to pick a fight with a liberal, Muslim politician that will play well with his base.”
Sky News wondered what the purpose of the trip was, pointing out that Trump has arrived in “a politically divided country where Brexit remains unresolved and the prime minister about to leave office”.
It adds: “The timing is bad. The big deals can't be done. Diplomatic initiatives will be hampered by the absence of anyone in charge. It's hard to see this as much more than a lavish holiday for Mr Trump.”
The Independent says Downing Street has been accused of “lazy sexism” after Theresa May gave the US President a gift of a historical artefact recalling the Second World War alliance, while his wife Melania received a tea set.
As for Trump himself, he reflected on his first day in the UK saying he thought things were going “really well”.
-
Taiwan eyes Iron Dome-like defence against ChinaUnder the Radar President announces historic increase in defence spending as Chinese aggression towards autonomous island escalates
-
Political cartoons for November 30Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Saudi-China relationship, MAGA spelled wrong, and more
-
Rothermere’s Telegraph takeover: ‘a right-leaning media powerhouse’Talking Point Deal gives Daily Mail and General Trust more than 50% of circulation in the UK newspaper market
-
The US-Saudi relationship: too big to fail?Talking Point With the Saudis investing $1 trillion into the US, and Trump granting them ‘major non-Nato ally’ status, for now the two countries need each other
-
Could Trump run for a third term?The Explainer Constitutional amendment limits US presidents to two terms, but Trump diehards claim there is a loophole
-
Trump’s Ukraine peace talks advance amid leaked callSpeed Read Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Russia next week
-
Memo signals Trump review of 233k refugeesSpeed Read The memo also ordered all green card applications for the refugees to be halted
-
Judge tosses Trump DOJ cases against Comey, JamesSpeed Read Both cases could potentially be brought again
-
X’s location update exposes international troll industryIn the Spotlight Social media platform’s new transparency feature reveals ‘scope and geographical breadth’ of accounts spreading misinformation
-
Tariffs: Will Trump’s reversal lower prices?Feature Retailers may not pass on the savings from tariff reductions to consumers
-
Trump: Is he losing control of MAGA?Feature We may be seeing the ‘first meaningful right-wing rebellion against autocracy of this era’
