WASHINGTON - Parliament debated Monday whether or not to rescind a state visit invitation extended to President Trump a week into his presidency, after two competing petitions elevated the issue to the national conversation.
The close relationship between the United States and Britain has sent presidents across the Atlantic to meet with Queen Elizabeth II for decades. But Mr. Trump’s executive order on immigration and his disparaging comments about women and minorities have angered many across the UK, sparking protests and leading some to argue that an official state visit, which is marked by royal pomp and circumstance and is considered a high honor, should not be extended to Trump.
Prime Minister Theresa May invited Trump to the UK during her visit to Washington, DC. Critics argue that she acted too soon, and that the UK should wait to determine what kind of president Trump will be before extending a friendly hand to his administration. No US President has ever before been granted a state visit during his first year in office, reported CNN.
Others see the event as a way to highlight the close ties between the two allies. Those conflicting views have brought two petitions to Parliament, prompting debates to begin Monday.
The more successful petition, seeking to rescind the invitation, received 1.85 million signatures. The petition supporting Trump's visit got 311,000 signatures. (AP)