- President Trump publicly tweeted his dislike for the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
- In July of 2018, more than 100,000 people protested against the President’s U.K. visit and more are expected this year.
- Both George Bush and Barack Obama visited the U.K. during their first term as President of the U.S.
LONDON – As President Trump begins his three-day visit to the U.K. this week, a familiar sense of awkwardness surrounds the area.
The President’s visit coincides with the 75th commemoration of the D-Day landings. The Queen of England, President Trump, along with other heads of state will attend the Portsmouth event later this week.
But, upon his landing, Trump took to Twitter to express his feeling towards the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, saying that he “has been foolishly nasty to the visiting President of the United States” and calling him a “stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London.”
.@SadiqKhan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly “nasty” to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2019
Earlier this week Khan referred to Trump as “one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat” in a newspaper op-ed.
The tension between the two looks to only spark the protests that are expected by U.K. residents later this week.
When President Trump visited the U.K. in July of 2018 more than 100,000 people stood in protest against him. The rally was made famous by a giant Trump baby balloon floating on top of the groups.
One of those groups is Together Against Trump, who is planning to organize another demonstration for this year’s meeting.
“We will take to the streets in even bigger numbers – to fight for migrant and refugee rights, for women’s rights, against the corporate elites, and for the future of our planet,” the group said.
Jeremy Corbyn, Parliament member and Leader of the Labor Party, also sent out a tweet which may fuel tensions even more.
“Tomorrow’s protest against Donald Trump’s state visit is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those he’s attacked in America, around the world and in our own country – including, just this morning, @SadiqKhan,” he wrote.
Tomorrow's protest against Donald Trump's state visit is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those he's attacked in America, around the world and in our own country - including, just this morning, @SadiqKhan.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 3, 2019
But arguably, one of the most famous objectors of Donald Trump is the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Markle was born in the U.S. but became the Duchess of Sussex upon marrying Prince Harry.
In a 2016 interview with The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, she referred Donald Trump as “Misogynistic” and said she was considering moving to Canada if he was elected.
Last Friday, President Trump was asked about these comments by the Sun, a British newspaper. He seemed unaware of the criticism but proceeded to fire back.
“I didn’t know that,” he said. “What can I say? I didn’t know she was nasty.”
The two aren’t scheduled to meet as Markle is still on maternity leave. However, the President is scheduled to meet with Prince Harry during his visit.
The tension’s felt between the President and those in the U.K. could also be fueled by the British media. President Trump, who has notably favored Fox News in the U.S. does not have the same news source in the U.K.
In August of 2017, “Fox News International” was pulled by the network due to low ratings.
In a statement provided by 21st Century Fox to CNN, “We have concluded that it is not in our commercial interest to continue providing Fox News in the U.K.”
Although, coverage of the President’s U.K. visit this week is being reported by every major American news source including Fox News.
The perception of how a foreign a country’s residents and politicians treat President Trump could adversely impact Americans view of a possible reelection. This is especially true when that other country is a known ally of the United States.
While for some this week could signal concern and worry, for others it may incite patriotism and an increased defense for the U.S. president.
Right now, many offshore sportsbooks election odds have President Trump as the favorite to win the 2020 presidential election at (+110) betting odds. However, this could change ahead of this week.
Mass protests from various activist groups, hostility from notable political heads, and opposition from famous American’s in the U.K. may work to change the 2020 presidential election betting lines.