Trump Says Feels 'Unwelcome' in London
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US President Donald Trump said he feels “unwelcome” in London due to expected protests during his visit to the United Kingdom.
Trump said on Thursday he believes London citizens “like me a lot,” despite reports of multiple planned protests against him, including a protest involving a 20-foot-tall inflatable baby bearing his face that was scheduled to be flown during his visit, The Hill reported.
But after being asked about the blimp, Trump reportedly told The Sun newspaper: “I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London.”
London's mayor approved a request from protesters to fly the blimp during Trump's visit near Parliament.
“I used to love London as a city,” Trump continued in the interview published on Thursday. “I haven’t been there in a long time. But when they make you feel unwelcome, why would I stay there?”
Trump’s schedule only has him in London for one night and will largely avoid planned protests.
“And when I say that I am talking about government because the people of the UK agree with me,” Trump added of being made to feel unwelcome.
The US president also said of his four-day visit to the UK that “many people are delighted."
"I get thousands of notifications from people in the UK that they love the President of the United States. They want the same thing I want," he said.
Trump even mentioned a poll claiming that he was the “most popular person in the history of the Republican Party. Beating Lincoln.”
“I beat our Honest Abe,” Trump added. “But the people of the UK, and I’ll bet if you had an honest poll, I’d be very strong. They want the same thing I want. I love the UK".
It is unclear what poll Trump meant.
Nearly 90,000 people said they are planning to protest the US president’s visit to the UK. Trump is scheduled for a working visit with Prime Minister Theresa May.
