2017 state visit of the United States to the United Kingdom
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Venue |
|
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Type | State visit |
| Organised by | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Participants | Donald Trump and Elizabeth II |
The 2017 state visit of the United States to the United Kingdom is a planned visit of President Donald Trump. The date has twice been postponed. The most recent indicated dates were October 5 through October 8, 2017, but the British government has since said that no date has been set.[1]
Background[edit]
Prior to the presidency of Donald Trump, there had been two state visits made to the United Kingdom by a US President: George W. Bush in 2003; and Barack Obama in 2011.[2] The very first visit of a sitting US president to the UK was made in 1918, by Woodrow Wilson.[3] This was not, however, a state visit, for such requires the head of state to make the invitation and to act as the official host.
Every US President since the First World War has visited the UK while in office, except Coolidge, Hoover, Johnson, Ford[4] and, as of June 2017, Trump.
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Planning[edit]
In January 2017 Donald Trump accepted a state-visit invitation from British Prime Minister Theresa May on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II during a meeting in Washington, D.C.[5] Originally planned for the summer of that year, it was postponed to early October.[6]
According to a report published in The Times, the White House has requested a coach from the Royal Mews to transport the president.[7][lower-alpha 1] While a coach has been customarily used by other visiting heads of state, the two past visits of the United States have seen the sitting president choose instead to travel in the presidential state car.[8] The request for a coach reportedly caused security concerns among British officials.[8] According to a Metropolitan Police Officer, the presidential state car can "travel at enormous speed" and "withstand a massive attack like a low-level rocket grenade", while coaches of the Royal Mews are drawn by horses and are "very flimsy".[8][7]
Travel party[edit]
As of April 2017 the mode of travel has not been announced. However, during all UK visits by the US since 1947 the delegation has traveled with the United States Air Force.
Delegation[edit]
As of April 2017, the members of Trump's delegation have not been announced. Delegations during previous visits have included the First Lady of the United States, the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Chief of Protocol, members of the Cabinet of the United States, and confidantes of the president.
Entourage[edit]
During past visits, the president has been accompanied by an entourage of between 200 and 500 staff including his aides de camp, his personal assistant, a personal medical team of nurses and surgeons, several chefs, speechwriters, and a large protection detail of the United States Secret Service.[9][10]
Order of events[edit]
As of June 2017[update], a full itinerary for the state visit has not been announced.
Public opinion[edit]
Competing online petitions at the website of the Parliament of the United Kingdom called for the state visit either to be canceled or to be maintained.[11] By 14 February 2017 the petition in favor of the visit had received over 309,000 electronic "signatures". The petition against, which had been open longer, had more than 1.8 million "signatures".[12][11] Both petitions had therefore passed the required threshold of 100,000 "signatures" to guarantee they were debated in the House of Commons, with the debate occurring on February 20, 2017.[11] During that debate, David Lammy MP stated "that there was no recent precedent for a state visit by the United States so soon after the inauguration of a new president".[13] He suggested that the invitation had only been extended due to the May government's desperation to conclude a trade pact with the United States prior to the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.[13] Simon Burns MP, however, said the visit should go ahead as it was in "Britain's national interest".[13]
A February 2017 YouGov opinion poll on the planned visit found that 49% of respondents felt the visit should occur while 36% said it should be canceled. Respondents were not asked "whether Mrs May had been right to invite Mr Trump".[14]
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called in early June 2017 for the visit to be cancelled, following critical comments made by President Trump in the wake of a major terrorist incident in Central London. Khan stated: "I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances, where his policies go against everything we stand for."[15]
The planned visit was not mentioned in the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament in June 2017.[16][relevant? ]
See also[edit]
- State visits to the United States
- List of international presidential trips made by Donald Trump
- United States presidential visits to the United Kingdom and Ireland
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Though not named in the report, the Irish State Coach has previously been used for state visits.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Donald Trump state visit not mentioned in Queens Speech, amid suggestions it had been shelved". The Daily Telegraph. 21 June 2017.
- ↑ "Obama, George W. Bush only presidents given UK state visit leftright 3/3leftright". Reuters. May 24, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Visits of Presidents of the United States to the United Kingdom". U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/united-kingdom
- ↑ Tamkin, Emily (January 27, 2017). "How Did the White House Stumble on Theresa May's Visit? Let Us Count the Ways". Foreign Policy. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ Onyanga-Omara, Jane (March 1, 2017). "Trump state visit to Britain postponed, report says". USA Today. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Keating, Fiona (April 15, 2017). "Donald Trump demands to ride in Queen's gold-plated carriage during UK state visit". International Business Times. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Seipel, Brooke (April 15, 2017). "Trump wants gold-plated carriage ride with Queen during UK visit: report". The Hill. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ Hough, Andrew (May 23, 2011). "Barack Obama state visit: intense security operation protecting US President". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ Gore, D'Angelo (July 8, 2011). "The Traveling President". FactCheck. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Donald Trump petitions: Where in UK most supports visit". BBC News. 2 February 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Theresa May 'looking forward' to Trump state visit". BBC News. 14 February 2017.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Clarke, Hilary (February 20, 2017). "Insults fly as UK Parliament debates Donald Trump's visit". CNN. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ Mance, Henry (February 1, 2017). "Poll on Trump's state visit gives May some breathing space". Financial Times. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Sadiq Khan fights back against Donald Trump and says his state visit to UK should be cancelled". The Daily Telegraph. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
- ↑ "Donald Trump state visit not mentioned in Queens Speech, amid suggestions it had been shelved". The Daily Telegraph. 21 June 2017.
External links[edit]
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