Living on the eastern side of the Atlantic, I have had the dubious fortune of being able to receive news of the Orange Homunculus’ diplomatic escapades in Europe when the United States are still blissfully asleep (or gibbering quietly and beggingfor the sweet embrace of sleep to take them away from Trump’s reign for a while, at any rate).
If you’re wondering how long after arriving in Britain it would take for Trump to cause a major diplomatic incident, wonder no longer — the answer is less than 30 seconds.
Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, really needed a political win from Trump’s visit. She’s offered a soft Brexit plan which would hopefully ensure the British economy doesn’t melt down in chaos next year. She’s facing a serious challenge from Labour under Corbyn and an internal revolt from rabid Brexiteers who seem to think Britain should crash out with no deal unless Europe gives them everything they want (protip: they won’t), and who think Britain could totes ride astride the world as it did during the halcyon days of the British Empire (protip 2: it can’t, no matter how often Boris Johnson referred to his mad scribblings, err... plans as “Empire 2.0”). As a result of leaving the EU, May also cosiders the relationship between Britain and the US to be absolutely vital for Britain’s future.
So what did the current President of the United States do when he arrived in Britain for a state visit? According to the Guardian, he decided to throw a political hand grenade in May’s lap — criticising her leadership, threatening that a soft Brexit would preclude any trade deal with the United States, backing Boris Johnson (the shameless opportunist who opposes May’s plan and is apparently making a political power play over it), blasting Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and spreading some of that old immigrant hate around.
If you’re just waking up, Donald has done it again. In frank remarks made to The Sun (there’s audio, too), he criticised Theresa May’s Brexit strategy - which he said would “kill the prospects of a trade deal” – and backed Boris for No 10.
He also accused Sadiq Khan of being weak on terrorism and said mass immigration is causing the whole of Europe to “[lose] its culture”.
I wonder when our European leaders shall finally learn that appeasing Trump, treating him with respect, and trying to give him a political win (for example, by trying to credit him with increases in NATO spending) simply do not work. He thrives on humiliating those whom he considers as weak, as do his entire wretched party and his voter base. The only way to deal with people like that is to show that you are not weak — for example, by immediately cancelling the visit, and by returning the disrespect and interference in domestic affairs.
More controversially, I think a good play by European leaders would be to actually put the value of NATO in question - promising to increase defence spending but not buying any US arms and noting that as long as they pursue Trumpian policies the United States Will be considered a hostile power no better than Russia and China. Trump and his supporters think they are indispensable and that others have no choice but to grovel before them. The world should really show them otherwise.
Update: The Trump blimp is ready for lift-off.