Robotic Trump Statue Featured At London Protest
Jun 4, 2019, 6:23 AM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 5:06 pm
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 03: People hold placards in protest over Donald Trump's state visit outside Buckingham Palace on the first day of the U.S. President and First Lady's three-day State visit on June 3, 2019 in London, England. President Trump's three-day state visit will include lunch with the Queen, and a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, as well as business meetings with the Prime Minister and the Duke of York, before travelling to Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
LONDON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s visit to Europe (all times local):
12:35 p.m.
A robotic likeness of President Donald Trump on a golden toilet is attracting attention at a London protest against the U.S. leader’s visit.
Don Lessem of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania spent $25,000 to build the foam statue over an iron frame, ship it by boat across the Atlantic and have it erected in Trafalgar Square. Thousands of protesters gathered in the square Tuesday to express disapproval at the lavish state visit being held for Trump.
The robot caught the attention of passers-by with its recitation of Trump’s trademark phrases, including “No collusion” and “You are fake news.”
Lessem says his 16-foot statue is as large as Trump’s ego.
The dinosaur expert, who usually makes models of prehistoric creatures, says people in Britain need to know there are Americans who don’t support Trump.
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11:33 a.m.
President Donald Trump is meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing St. in London.
May and her husband. Philip, greeted Trump and first lady Melania Trump and the foursome posed for photographs. Protesters demonstrating against Trump’s visit gathered up the street.
May is to step down Friday as head of her Conservative Party over her failure to secure Britain’s exit from the European Union.
The leaders are discussing a possible bilateral trade deal to take effect once the U.K. leaves the European Union and Britain’s decision about whether Chinese telecoms firm Huawei can work on parts of the country’s new 5G wireless communications network. The U.S. wants allies to exclude Huawei from all 5G networks over fears it could let the Chinese government gain access to data.
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10:43 a.m.
Relations with China will be on President Donald Trump’s agenda during his meetings Tuesday with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
British officials are considering whether to let Chinese telecoms firm Huawei work on parts of the country’s new 5G wireless communications network. The United States has been lobbying allies to exclude Huawei from all 5G networks over fears it could let the Chinese government gain access to data or conduct espionage.
U.K. Security Minister Ben Wallace says the government hasn’t made a final decision, but that Huawei should be given a chance because the British “believe in fair play.”
But former Foreign Secretary William Hague wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Washington wants the U.K. to join the United States in adopting a more comprehensive ban.
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9:40 a.m.
The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump and the first lady have given Queen Elizabeth II a silver and silk poppy flower brooch from Tiffany & Co. The brooch was wrapped inside a custom White House jewelry box.
The president and first lady exchanged gifts with the queen as part of their state visit in the United Kingdom.
The president and first lady gave Prince Philip a personalized Air Force One jacket and a first edition signed autobiography by James Doolittle entitled: “I Could Never Be So Lucky Again.”
On Monday, the queen gave Trump a first edition of Winston Churchill’s “The Second World War.” She gave first lady Melania Trump a specially commissioned silver box with a handcrafted enamel lid.
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9:15 a.m.
The Trump baby blimp is flying again.
Protesters against the state visit of U.S. President Donald Trump inflated the 20-foot-tall (6-meter-tall) blimp Tuesday and let it bob gently in the air across from the Houses of Parliament. Organizers have permission from police to fly it for two hours.
The inflatable depicting Trump as a screaming baby in a diaper made its debut last July during the president’s working visit to the U.K. It has since featured at anti-Trump protests around the world.
Thousands of protesters are expected to march in London as Trump holds talks in Downing St. with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
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9 a.m.
President Donald Trump is telling British Prime Minister Theresa May that she should “stick around” so that the U.S. and Britain can do a trade deal.
The two are meeting in London, just days before May is to step down as party leader Friday, setting in motion a race to succeed her as prime minister.
The leaders’ top priority is a possible bilateral trade deal to take effect once the U.K. leaves the European Union.
Before their meeting with business leaders, May says the two nations’ business relationship can be enlarged and a trade deal can be fair for both sides.
Trump told May “Let’s do this deal.”
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8:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May are meeting with corporate executives from the United States and United Kingdom. The leaders’ top priority is a possible bilateral trade deal to take effect once the U.K. leaves the European Union.
The meeting with business leaders at St. James’s Palace brings together nearly a dozen leading companies from the UK and the United States.
Just up the street, protesters leaders of Britain’s political opposition will be joining demonstrators. They are inflating a blimp depicting Trump as a giant screaming baby to protest his visit.
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8:35 a.m.
As Prime Minister Theresa May meets President Donald Trump in Downing St., leaders of Britain’s political opposition will be joining protesters just up the street.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and senior lawmakers from his left-of-center party will be among thousands of demonstrators expressing noisy opposition to Trump’s visit on the streets of London.
Emily Thornberry, Labour’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, says Trump is “a sexual predator” and a racist and does not deserve the honor of a state visit.
Trump has dined with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace and taken tea with Prince Charles on his pomp-filled trip to the U.K.
Things are likely to become more awkward on Tuesday when he meets May, who is in the final weeks of her premiership. The two leaders have sharply differing views on issues including Iran, Brexit and Chinese telecoms firm Huawei.
Trump has already criticized May’s handling of Brexit and said May’s rival Boris Johnson would make an “excellent” prime minister.
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5:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump will turn from pageantry to policy Tuesday as he joins British Prime Minister Theresa May for a day of talks likely to highlight fresh uncertainty in the allies’ storied relationship.
Trump and May are due to meet with corporate executives from the United States and United Kingdom, before an afternoon news conference on the second day of Trump’s state visit. The leaders’ top priority is a possible bilateral trade deal to take effect once the U.K. leaves the European Union.
Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on Oct. 31 unless both sides agree to an extension. Its position is in flux because May is stepping down as party leader Friday, setting in motion a race to succeed her as prime minister.
