"It takes all sorts. Standing around under gun-metal skies watching soldiers isn't many people's idea of fun but world leaders are a different breed. No bit of pageantry and flattery goes unnoticed. So why not give Donald Trump the full Disney treatment he craves? After all, it wasn't as if he was going to be allowed to stray outside the Windsor Castle compound and it was better than making the king sit indoors and watch Fox News."
"But if Wednesday was the softening up You're great, you're the best, the world would stop without you. We've never done anything like this for anyone else Thursday was very much the business end of the state visit. And the one moment of real danger for the US president and Keir Starmer. The Chequers press conference at which everything could go tits up."
"You could see the anxiety in Starmer's eyes as he and the Sunbed King entered the Great Hall in Chequers. A room of wood panels and countless mediocre portraits. The US press corps all stood and applauded. Seriously? The UK pack remained seated. Keir gave an anxious glance towards the phalanx of journalists. Please don't screw this up for me, guys. Just give me this one win."
State ceremonial display produced lavish praise for Donald Trump and amplified his sense of self-importance. The Windsor arrangements constrained movement and prioritized spectacle over normal protocol, with overt flattery presented as justification. The Chequers press conference represented the riskiest unscripted moment, exposing Keir Starmer's visible anxiety about the media response. Differences emerged between US and UK journalistic behavior, increasing pressure on British political hosts. Trump remained detached and self-centered throughout, portrayed as the focal point while others were reduced to supporting, anxious figures amid the pageantry.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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