Trumped Up Charges 📑

We’re Not In Kansas Anymore
Trump recently went to ‘Davos’, a glitzy meeting of world leaders also known as the ‘World Economic Forum’. This conference is held in a mountain resort in the town of Davos, located in the Swiss Alps, and has been a yearly occurrence since 1971. This will be the 48th annual Davos, and this year’s theme is “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World”. Donald Trump is set to give a keynote speech on the last day of the conference.

Special Relationship? 
Another esteemed guest of the Davos conference is Theresa May, the British prime minister. Trump released a tweet yesterday morning saying that he and May were committed to working together on ‘security issues’ and ‘economic opportunities’. In the tweet, he also mentioned that he and May have a ‘special relationship’, after telling her that the U.S. will always ‘fight for you’. There was confusion over these statements, since Trump and May have appeared to have a strained relationship, especially after Trump’s retweet last year of a post from an anti-Islamic group called ‘Britain First’. May publicly rebuked him after the incident.

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Leaning Right:

Fox News: Trump, May talk up US-UK ties in Davos, dismiss rumors of strained relationship

Breitbart: President Trump and PM May Talk at Davos: ‘We Continue to Have That Really Special Relationship’

Leaning Left:

Bloomberg: Inside the Dysfunctional Relationship of Donald Trump and Theresa May

Mirror: Donald Trump 'doesn't let Theresa May speak for more than ten seconds and will offer France state visit ahead of UK'

The right is focusing on the positive commentary between May and Trump at Davos. They use quotes from Trump saying he and May have a ‘great relationship’, that they ‘like each other a lot’, and that he has ‘tremendous respect’ for her. The prime minister herself also said Brittain has a ‘really special relationship’ with America. The right very briefly touches on the past strains between Trump and May, noting that Trump claimed the talk of strain is a false rumor.

The left focuses on the public clashes between Trump and May. Especially on Trump’s tweet responding to May’s comments about Britain First where he basically tells May to mind her own business. The left fixates on the formal phone calls between the two world leaders, during which Trump dominates the conversation and only gives May five or ten seconds to talk, according to a member of May’s administration. The left also gives lots of coverage to members of May’s team who commented that they lament their “nightmare” decision to extend an invitation to Trump to visit the UK.

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Special Ally or Phone Hog? 
Although there has been strain in the past, it looks like Trump and May have come to some sort of agreement. A transatlantic alliance is mutually beneficial for both the UK and the US, and both parties appeared to realize at Davos that being united strengthens their relationship. There are probably still tensions, but Trump and May are clearly making efforts to mend the divisions.

Artwork: Lorenzo Gritti

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