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News & politics

Keep Trump out of the UK!

(108 Posts)
Wyllow3 Mon 14-Jul-25 23:08:14

It’s official: Donald Trump will make a state visit to the UK from 17–19 September. King Charles will host the United States’ noxious President at Windsor Castle

I am quoting from an Open Britain email:

"Let’s be absolutely clear. Donald Trump has:

^Threatened to deport his political enemies
Enriched his friends on the public dime
Brutally crushed protests and militarised America’s streets
Detained and deported people without legal due process
Undermined and attempted to overturn legitimate election results
Pardoned insurrectionists, legitimised war criminals, and praised dictators
Fanned dangerous and racist conspiracy theories
Governed through fear and vengeance^

There’s absolutely no reason a leader like that should come here and speak down to us.

If you want to sign a petition to Block this State visit, you can ^visit the 38 degrees web site. It's not proper for me to give a direct reference here^

A previous petition, which was to block Trump from visiting when Sunak was in power, gained 1,863,708 signatures.

Regretfully, I was unable to find a petition welcoming Trump to Britain so cannot give you directions.

love0c Tue 15-Jul-25 07:34:13

Not signing. Please post if you know of a petition to get rid of Labour!

nanna8 Tue 15-Jul-25 07:56:35

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? As for Labour I really hope they improve because it’s a long,long time before your next election.

fancythat Tue 15-Jul-25 07:58:20

Love your enemies.

Jesus ate with sinners.

I wouldn't ban Putin.
Though I would feel uncomfortable.

windmill1 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:05:12

Captain Chaos, aka Trump the Terrible, announces even more tariffs!

He's getting to be a bit of a one trick pony.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:13:54

Diplomacy…

GrannyGravy13 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:27:19

Sorry premature posting.

His visit coincides with Parliamentary recess, so he cannot address the house

He may have a different approach to politics to most of us this side of the pond, but, he is still an ally.

We are not at war with the USA.

Iam64 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:27:42

It’s Diplomacy, the greatest hope for our world. Our government and the Royal Family entertain the leaders of many countries with dreadful records on human rights.
It doesn’t mean we have to admire, even like them.

We didn’t vote for Trump but many Americans did. More fool them imo but he’s their President. Respect the position and where possible avoid unnecessary conflict. Unless he does change the constitution, he won’t be Potus for ever. Even he can’t live for ever 🙏🏽

GrannyGravy13 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:33:48

Iam64 well said (far better than my garbled version)

AGAA4 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:36:13

Whether we like it or not Trump is the president of the US.
We have long been on friendly terms with the US and that shouldn't change because of Trump. The US will still be there after Trump has long gone.

TerriBull Tue 15-Jul-25 08:47:50

Honestly! are you serious, we've had loads of state visits by awful people, Mugabe, Xi, King Abdullah, he's just one more. It is as others have said about diplomacy and expediency. Here's what Peter Mandelson had to say about him in the ST this week. "He's a more nuanced figure than people appreciate. Look he's not only a unique politician - he's also going to be one of the most consequential presidents in American history. He has this sense of history, this grasp of power which I think perhaps recent inhabitants of the White House haven't quite seen. He is not a man for endless seminars and thinking. He's not a victim of analysis paralysis. He has a very quick and easy way of grasping the core points of an issue. And lets be honest, more often than not there's a kernel of truth in everything he says. This includes border control, if you take immigration for example, people feel that the work of ICE (US federal immigration agency) and the policy of deportation is extreme. But what he's trying to roll back was an extreme opening up of the Mexican border. Allowing anyone from anywhere in the world to fly and simply pass into the United States and fan out across the country without any control or management! The public won't stand for it. Illegal crossings, which peaked under President Biden at 300,000 a month collapsed when Trump took office to about 12,000 a month"

Well of course he would say all that I hear you say, as our Ambassador to Washington, he can't be slagging him off, and a certain amount of pragmatism is necessary from someone in his position.

No I wouldn't have voted for Trump in many respects I think he's awful, but I also thought the same about Biden in a different way, if he wasn't so inept then the US might not be saddled with Trump.

David49 Tue 15-Jul-25 08:48:06

The visit is going to happen whether we like it or not, Trump will be helicoptered everywhere and have minimal public contact. Protests will achieve nothing, let’s face it at least half of US citizens hate him, the fact that many Brits hate him is no worry to him.

Caleo Tue 15-Jul-25 08:53:29

Trump is not a nice man nor a good President but he is very powerful and in our own interest he has to be placated.

Maremia Tue 15-Jul-25 08:54:24

Well, if the Visit goes as well as his Big Birthday Military Parade, squeaky tank and all, it could be worth experiencing.

Caleo Tue 15-Jul-25 08:58:08

TerriBull, a "kernel of truth in what he (Trump) says" is not sufficient for him to be trusted with the lives and property of others ;there is a sliver of truth in what any madman or any criminal says.

TerriBull Tue 15-Jul-25 09:09:16

I was quoting Mandleson, and we don't have to like Trump as a person, I don't. However, as I stated up thread, state visits from visiting heads of foreign governments are necessary to oil the wheels in many respects. Anyway, l imagine Starmer will reign it in somewhat and not go for all those totally false man huggy, hugs, sick making in the insincerity, that he and Macron indulged in, but he still needs, and no doubt he will show Trump, as President of the US a level of respect that he would offer to any other head of state.

TerriBull Tue 15-Jul-25 09:14:40

Rein not reign

Doodledog Tue 15-Jul-25 09:18:04

I don't agree with sniping at those with different views - arguing with them yes, 'banning' or making unnecessary and pointless digs, no.

If we refuse to engage we have no influence.

What has Trump's visit to the King to do with Labour, incidentally?

Caleo Tue 15-Jul-25 09:19:07

But why quote Mandelson? Did you have had a reason to single him out?

If Mandelson were here on Gransnet there would be posters who , like myself, take issue with him. Mandelson is not God Almighty.

Caleo Tue 15-Jul-25 09:22:36

Doodledog, I don't think you meant that Trump is visiting the king in the sense of a jolly with plenty of horses and helicopters.

Sarnia Tue 15-Jul-25 09:23:08

I won't sign.
Whether we like it or not he is the elected President of the United States. He has been here before and has been invited to return.
Get on with it!

fancythat Tue 15-Jul-25 09:26:23

I do like the way GN shows the opinions of people.

Caleo Tue 15-Jul-25 09:27:13

Terribull wrote:

"----totally false man huggy, hugs, sick making in the insincerity, that he and Macron indulged in, "

I guess Volodimir Zelensky is exceptional as a politician who is utterly sincere at all times.

Wyllow3 Tue 15-Jul-25 09:32:10

Maremia

Well, if the Visit goes as well as his Big Birthday Military Parade, squeaky tank and all, it could be worth experiencing.

Nice one.

Of course we need to engage in diplomacy.
Of course we have to sit down at the discussion table

But we dont have to like it.

Indeed, my hope is, he comes and gets the cold shoulder from the public and I expect some prominent public figures and celebs:
and it will be intriguing to watch out of course for the parts of the press, and pubic figures, who do support him.

I'm to blame for some of the assumptions people have made here about the nature of what the petition is calling for

Sorry!

The petition is most definitely not to stop him coming altogether, but to create a situation where we have a chance to let Trump know what many of us feel

There are demonstrations planned for Wednesday 17th September in a number of venues - if this thread continues, I'll post details.

Caleo Tue 15-Jul-25 09:32:54

fancythat

Love your enemies.

Jesus ate with sinners.

I wouldn't ban Putin.
Though I would feel uncomfortable.

Jesus also got violently stroppy with those people who were misusing the Temple for personal commercial gain. JC was no wimp. Loving your enemies does not imply cuddling up to them.