+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

We asked 20 people in London how they feel about Trump's visit. Here are their reactions.

Jul 11, 2018, 15:49 IST

Sinéad Baker/Business Insider

US President Donald Trump will arrive in the UK on Thursday to start a four-day visit that will see him meet the Queen and head to Scotland.

Advertisement

But his agenda reveals that he will largely avoid London - where tens of thousands plan to protest against him and a 20-foot balloon that depicts him as an angry orange baby will fly over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.

The city appears to not be the president's biggest fan - plans for a formal state visit were put on hold last year after hundreds of thousands of people threatened to protest.

Here is what 20 people who we spoke to on the streets of London thought about the US president's upcoming visit.

Jack Rigby, 18

I don’t have strong opinions on his visit, but everyone deserves their right to speak their mind. He should come and let people know what he has to say, even if he is wrong or right.

Stephanie Rose, 31

I think it’s a good thing. When these issues are brought onto peoples’ home soil, the opportunity then arises to actually do something about it and say something about it. The reality sometimes needs to happen to shock people into action.

Sam Grill, 23

I am against the visit purely because of the fact of what Donald Trump stands for as a person. I think he’s a bit of a bigot and a racist, and I don’t really want him in London.

Jacques Moukouri, 30

I’ve got no opinion. I don’t understand how this visit is going to impact London. It’s not going to change anything for us, is it? So I don’t know know why people are up in arms against him coming. He’s the president, he can come and visit other countries. Whatever policies he’s doing in the US, I don’t think that really affects us in London.

Stephen Davis, 74

I think we’re doing a great favour to America by letting them do without him for a little while. It’s at a great cost to ourselves, unfortunately. I wish he’d go home.

Tanya Alden-Zeter, 29

I understand why people don’t want him here, because of the thing he stands for and the policies that he has put in place, but I don’t think that the answer to that is to stop someone from coming here. We live in a democracy where people can travel freely, we have free movement of people, so I think that should be upheld, even if we don’t agree with his politics.

Les Hamilton, 69

I think it’s a good thing. Something that p---es me off is that there’s no respect for the office anymore. In the past, it’s the office that’s the important thing. And now it doesn’t seem to matter. I’m not saying I like the man, but nobody’s giving him a chance.

Donovan Pascal, 51

I didn’t actually know that this Friday was when President Trump was coming. Everyone I know is against him. I would have thought that at some point we all would have to get on board because he is the president, but he keeps doing stuff that means you just can’t get on board with what he’s doing. So I’m not for or against him coming, but I hope he doesn’t come here and do something negative – which he probably will at some point.

Gemma Fade, 16

He’s just not a nice person. I don’t agree with anything that he does. I don’t want him to come to the UK.

Thuva Yogan, 30

It’s news to me that he’s coming. From what I mostly hear, people don’t really like the guy. I don’t have an opinion on him because I don’t know him. It’s American politics, so it’s got nothing to do with me. But I do think he’s big-headed and full of himself. But I’m not bothered that he’s coming to visit – as long as he doesn’t try and take over.

Abby Geluso, 26

As an American student living in the UK this year, it is disheartening to see this country embracing the leader who has been terrorizing my home. The UK welcoming Donald Trump into its borders, on the taxpayer's dime, sends the message that the UK tacitly approves of all the abominable actions Trump's administration has taken so far that have deeply hurt only those most in need.

Petra Pecharova, 32

I’m going to avoid anything connected to his visit. I’m just not going to go to the city center. I’ll just stay hidden somewhere. I don’t respect him very much, so I don’t want to get involved with what is connected to him.

James Boston, 37

What he said about our own mayor – we had a few terrorist attacks during our election and he instantly said that our mayor didn’t do enough. Which is not what you want in the aftermath of this tragic event that has happened. But whether he should be barred from coming here, I don’t know. Because that sort of plays into the hands of people who say that the left is muzzling people’s freedom of speech, which I don’t think is true but I think there is a perception there. So maybe it’s the right thing that he’s coming here and he’s going to be met with a giant blimp and a wall of protest.

Paul Williams, 30

The thing that frustrates me is the amount of money that we are having to spend to actually get him here. There’s a trip planned to Edinburgh that is going to cost like £5 million in policing, which is just a bit bonkers.

Abiola Remi-Lawal, 19

He’s the president of the US so he’s got that power to come in, even though many people don’t want him to come. Let’s see what he’s going to do. The UK trades with the US, so he has to be able to come. They wouldn’t want to spoil their relationship.

Holly Smithurst, 29

I don't feel great that he is coming. He has done a lot of things that I don’t agree with. My partner was born in a Muslim country, so he would have been one of the ones that was held in the airports in New York last year. And I think the wall is ridiculous. I don’t think that he should be in the position that he’s in, and I don’t think he should be here in London.

Sogyal Verquin, 22

I really don’t know how I feel about it. I don’t really follow US politics, even though I am originally from Costa Rica before I moved to London. At this point it just seems like a comedy show, so I can’t really take it seriously. I understand why people want to protest against Trump coming in, but he is a human so he can travel where he wants.

Simon Sparrow, 35

When he was elected, I didn’t agree with it at all. But he was elected. If he is the head of state, he can come and visit. If he has been elected like anyone else. I heard about the big fat balloon of Trump, it’s a bit immature really. There are other ways to express anger.

Jem McDonald, 32

I don’t think you can stop the president of the United States coming to visit. And I think putting walls up and not letting someone into your country because you disagree with what they’ve got to say is not the most progressive way to act, and actually that’s probably exactly what Donald Trump would do. So maybe we should be better than that. But I completely support people who are protesting just to make it clear that they do not support his policies.

Vaiga Perkauskaite, 28

I’m quite indifferent. I’m not a fan of Donald Trump but I don’t follow politics so I don’t really care. I think it’s good that people are protesting, that people are showing their opinions.

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article