After long expectation and series of argument at the UK house of Common about Donald Trump official visit to the UK, the US President today announced today via Twitter he would not be visiting the UK after all.
While citing reasons for his decision, Trump said he is not happy with the Obama administration moving the US embassy from where it was in a bad deal, only to build a new one at an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Though report last might has said that Trump was not going to the UK because he was concerned about his popularity among the UK populace, he was concerned he was not going to be well received at the country.
He wrote;
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!
This is another Trump tweet that is directed to past Obama administration to show complete disdain for his predecessor, because the decision to move the embassy from its previous location to the current place was done in the Bush's administration, with the administration citing security reasons.
This was done in October 2008, and according to the website of the embassy, "The project has been funded entirely by the proceeds of the sale of other US Government properties in London, not through appropriated funds."
Donald Trump has appointed Rex Tillerson to go to the opening of the new embassy instead.
The opening of the building was seen as the British government has a time the US President would want to make his first state official visit., after he was invited by the Prime minister, Theresa May on her official and first head of state to visit US President Donald Trump.
Trump has repeatedly said he would not visit the UK if he will be facing mass demonstrations, but the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has always called out Donald Trump, and both the Mayor and the US President in the past has exchanged words over Trump's comment, including when Trump retweeted some fake videos from the leader of a group led by Jayda Fransen in UK known to harass Muslims and immigrants.
When the UK prime minister, Theresa May told Mr Trump not to retweet the anti-Muslim video, Trump responded that the PM should focus on radical Islamic terrorism ravaging the country, and not him.
There has been calls by the oppositions in the UK to cancel Trump's visit, and one of the plans for his state visit was to meet the Queen, but it was later downgraded to just "working visit" which is much less prestige.