The reason he gave was bizarre.
Earlier today President Donald Trump announced that he was cancelling his planned visit to the UK next month.
He had been expected to come here to open a new $1bn (£738m) US embassy in London.
However, he tweeted earlier today saying he was not a ‘big fan’ of the new embassy, adding that it was a ‘bad deal’ to move from Mayfair to south London.
Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
But not everyone was buying his excuse and people were quick to call out that his reason made little sense, especially as it was not President Obama’s administration who selected the site.
So the US Embassy ‘deal’ was instigated by George W Bush, whose administration secured the Battersea site, & the Grosvenor Square freehold was never theirs to sell. Trump’s nonsense seems to have infected almost every level of the British media.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) January 12, 2018
My favourite tale about the last Duke of Westminster has nothing to do with the Embassy. He was asked what advice he had for people who wanted to amass a huge fortune and replied that the trick was to have an ancestor who was best mates with William the Conqueror.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) January 12, 2018
And finally, the reason for moving the US Embassy was security. Post 9/11 the Grosvenor Square site was considered unsafe. The new one has a moat, I believe.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) January 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/Ned_Donovan/status/951724295377518592
Although his coming to the UK would not have been the state visit previously promised by Theresa May, it had been expected to see thousands of Brits take to the streets in protest against his policies.
And London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has previously clashed with Trump, offered an alternative reason for why the trip may have been cancelled.
In a statement, Mr Khan said: “It appears that President Trump got the message from the many Londoners who love and admire America and Americans but find his policies and actions the polar opposite of our city’s values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance.
“His visit next month would without doubt have been met by mass peaceful protests.
“This just reinforces what a mistake it was for Theresa May to rush and extend an invitation of a state visit in the first place.
“Let’s hope that Donald Trump also revisits the pursuit of his divisive agenda.”
