Speed Reads

Scuttlebutt

Watch NATO leaders, British princess, apparently mock Trump, politely, at palace reception

Leaders at the NATO 70th anniversary summit in London gathered for a reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Canada's CBC found some press pool video of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Princess Anne — Queen Elizabeth II's daughter and Britain's princess royal — apparently discussing President Trump. No one mentions him by name, CBC's Power & Politics said, "but they seem to be discussing his lengthy impromptu press conferences from earlier in the day." And they are clearly laughing.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted that she "can't get over this video" both because Trump "hates the thought of anyone laughing at him and for the fact that he long used 'other countries are laughing at us' as an attack against his predecessors." It's hard to make out what these various NATO leaders — some friendly with Trump, others closer to frenemies — are saying, but there's a lot of curiosity about Princess Anne's contribution at the end. Maybe she's just discussing the Trumps dawdling with her mother and older brother as they entered the reception ahead of her?

In any case, Trump may dislike being laughed at but he clearly hates being ignored, so maybe this is a win-win.