“Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!” Trump said.
President Donald Trump said Thursday night he canceled a trip to London because of his distaste for former President Barack Obama’s decision to sell the United States’s “best located and finest embassy” in the British capital:
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12,2018
Trump suggested London wanted him to cut the ribbon for the new embassy, which he said was in “an off location” and built for $1.2 billion. “Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!” Trump declared.
According to The Hill, while the United States sold its embassy in 2009 — and started building the new facility in 2013 — President George W. Bush’s administration signed the 2008 agreement to purchase the property.
London mayor Sadiq Khan seemed happy Trump decided not to visit. In an early morning tweet on Friday, Khan speculated Trump “got the message” that Londoners didn’t like his policies:
Many Londoners have made it clear that Donald Trump is not welcome here while he is pursuing such a divisive agenda. It seems he’s finally got that message. pic.twitter.com/YD0ZHuWtr3
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) January 12,2018
“Let’s hope that Donald Trump also revisits the pursuit of his divisive agenda,” Khan added.
Khan, at the end of last year, called for Trump to cancel another United Kingdom visit after he retweeted a series of videos purporting to show Muslims committing acts of violence.
Those tweets came from the leader of a far-right group that Khan said “exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.”
“After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed,” Khan said.
