May hosts trump for gala dinner at blenheim palace
The festive dinner at blenheim palace near oxford was also attended by numerous business representatives. Trump arrived by helicopter from london and was received with rude ceremony in the courtyard of the palace by a band of red-uniformed guardsmen.
May attaches great importance to invoking the "special relationship" between london and washington. She hopes trump will soon negotiate a free trade agreement for the post-brexit period. Trump had caused disgruntlement shortly before his arrival when he criticized may’s new brexit plans. "It seems to be turning a little bit in the other direction, where they’ll be dealing with the european union again, at least in part," trump said at the nato summit in brussel, without going into specifics.
May, however, did not take any notice as she buried u.S. President and first lady melania with her husband philip. Trump’s visit comes at a difficult time for may. Only on monday, auben minister boris johnson and brexit minister david davis had resigned in a dispute over their new brexit course.
Trump is known to be a friend of pompous ceremonials. May had already invited him to a state visit with the queen in london shortly after his inauguration as president. Probably for fear of protests, however, this was reduced to a working visit. The reception at blenheim palace was allowed to be an attempt to defuse trump somewhat.
Trump stays in great britain for several days. Police expect fierce protests against the u.S. President. Blenheim palace is the birthplace of war prime minister winston churchill. But the location was probably also chosen because it lies in the middle of a huge, shielded country. So trump did not have to fear whistles and boos from demonstrators.
