Chalk this one up to delusions of grandeur and a complete fixation on shiny objects.
When Donald Trump became President of these United States, the world reacted with a certain degree of dismay, to put it in its most polite terms.
In fact, shortly after his inauguration, the British Parliament held a fiery debate about whether the country should rescind the invitation for Trump to come for an official state visit. Those proper Brits were not so charmed by the lady grabbing antics of the man in the White House.
But political protocol won out, and indeed the Queen invited the American head of state to London.
As he gets ready to head across the pond and rub elbows with royalty, Mr. Trump is behaving very much like the spoiled little rich brat that he is.
Trump is preparing for his first state visit to our most important international ally, not by studying trade relations, treaties, or past history. He’s preparing by demanding a ride through London in the Queen’s golden carriage.
No. I am not mixing up American political history with a Disney movie.
The man who has solid gold bathroom fixtures in his homes wants a chance to ride down London’s famous Mall in the golden carriage. He wants pictures of himself waving to the riff-raff as he arrives in splendor at Buckingham Palace, where he will then demand to try on the Queen’s royal crown.
OK. I did make up that last part, but the rest of it is for real.
Obviously the idea of the American President, especially one who is loathed by the British public, riding down the street in an open carriage is a stupid idea. British and American security forces have told the White House staff that it would be a logistical nightmare to try to protect Trump while he waves from the royal vehicle.
They want him to come to the Palace like a true American leader. Like the Queen’s friend Barack Obama, who had the maturity and good sense to come in an armored vehicle.
But as we all know, Donald Trump is no Barack Obama.
He doesn’t care how much it costs British or American taxpayers. He doesn’t care that his little stunt would effectively close down the city of London for an entire day and inconvenience millions of average workers and families.
That carriage is really pretty and shiny and he wants a ride! And if little Donny wants a ride in a royal coach, little Donny’s not gonna take “no” for an answer.
If you want to see what has Trump so worked up, watch this brief video of the Queens “Golden Jubilee Coach” and try to image a bloated orange King George II waving to the crowds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPoq3qJk4pQ
Featured image via Wikipedia.
