A Senior Administration Official briefed reporters at 2:15PM about Trump’s three-country visit to honor soldiers who fought on D-Day 75 years ago; during his visit, Trump will meet with the leaders of Britain, Ireland, and France.
According to a Senior Administration Official, President Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump will be embarking on a trip to the U.K., Ireland, and France on June 3rd to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.
On that day, he will arrive in London where the Queen will host Mr. Trump and the First Lady at Buckingham Palace for an arrival ceremony and where the two will meet with the royal family. That same day, they will visit Westminster Abbey, where Mr. and Mrs. Trump will lay a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Later that evening, the Queen will host a state dinner in honor of President Trump.
On June 4th, the president will have a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May. The two leaders will also interact with American and British business leaders. That evening, President Trump will host a dinner at Winfield House, which is the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador.
On the same day, a protest against the president has been planned by organizers in London; the Senior Administration Official noted that Mr. Trump had not relayed any particular concern about the protests.
Despite the fact that Ms. May will be leaving office soon after Mr. Trump’s visit, the administration official maintained the president’s visit demonstrates the enduring special relationship the United States and the United Kingdom enjoy, based in their shared service and sacrifice, the ability for that relationship to transcend specific personalities. The official was unable to disclose any specific topics that will be discussed at the meeting, but noted that they will talk about a “broad range of international, as well as bilateral, issues.”
On whether Mr. Trump will be weighing in on the upcoming British prime minister race, the official pointed to the president’s own words on the matter, saying that “he made his decision clear that he wasn’t going to be drawn into any speculation.”
Earlier today, Trump referred to Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, two contenders for the position of the British prime minister, as his friends, stating: “Nigel Farage is a friend of mine, Boris is a friend of mine…I think they’re big powers over there, I think they’ve done a good job…I haven’t thought about supporting them, maybe it’s not my business to support them.”
On June 5th, the president will travel to Portsmouth, located in Hampshire, England. There he will participate in a ceremony to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day to “honor the service and sacrifice of so many Americans and their allies,” according to the official.
Later that same day, Mr. Trump and the first lady will travel to Ireland. Mr. Trump and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (the prime minister and head of government of Ireland) will participate in a bilateral meeting.
On June 6th, Mr. and Mrs. Trump will go to Normandy, France to participate in the 75th D-Day Anniversary commemoration at the Normandy American Cemetery, after which Mr. Trump will attend a bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.
The senior administration official concluded the briefing by noting that, “There’s no better time to have a state visit to the United Kingdom that the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. It’s also very special to be able to commemorate the events of D-Day on both sides of the English Channel…this obviously honors the special relationship, but also this very deep history, very personal history, for some of the people who are in attendance in the presidential delegation.”