Donald Trump Arrives in Britain Amid Protests

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, began his visit to Britain on Thursday evening, July 21. British officials have arranged the President's schedule to avoid confrontation with protesters. In a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels, Donald Trump criticized the British government, stating: "I am going to the center of tension... with many resignations." Ahead of Trump's visit to Britain, David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, and Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, resigned due to disagreements with Prime Minister Theresa May regarding the manner of exiting the European Union. Last Friday, May's cabinet approved the plan for Britain's exit from the EU, which some consider a betrayal of the Brexit idea, two years after the 2016 referendum. Trump publicly criticized the Prime Minister, saying: "People voted to leave the EU (Brexit), so I believe they will leave. But perhaps the way people want to leave is a bit different; I do not know that people voted for such a thing." Theresa May, who attended the press conference, responded that she is implementing the wishes of the British people. The US President also praised Boris Johnson, the resigning Foreign Secretary. Trump is a staunch supporter of Britain's exit from the EU and emphasized that after the country's exit in March next year, the US can expand trade with Britain in many areas. Reuters reported that many Britons oppose Trump's visit. In a YouGov poll published on Wednesday, 77% do not have a favorable opinion of the US President, while 50% believe his visit should take place. Before flying to Britain, Trump stated in Brussels: "I think they really like me in Britain. I think they agree with me on immigration. I am very firm on immigration." More than 60,000 people have registered to protest against Trump in London on Friday. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has allowed protesters to fly a balloon depicting Trump as a baby in Westminster. However, not everyone in Britain agrees with this balloon. Nigel Farage, a major politician in the Brexit campaign, called this act the "greatest insult" to a US President. Amnesty International simultaneously installed a banner in front of the US Embassy that read, "Donald Trump: A Human Rights Nightmare" as Trump's plane landed. Previously, Trump's visit was supposed to be at the level of a state visit, which would require a speech in the House of Commons. Parliamentary opposition turned this visit into a working trip. Trump, who began his European trip by attending the NATO summit in Brussels, criticized Washington's allies for their defense budgets and called for a doubling of NATO members' defense budgets. Germany was particularly targeted by Trump's attacks. The US President sarcastically remarked that while Germany spends billions of dollars on importing oil and gas from Russia, Berlin asks the United States to defend it against Russia. Trump is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.