‘Trump Baby’ Balloon Gets OK From London Mayor To Fly During POTUS Visit
In a move that could strain the already contentious relationship between London Mayor Sadiq Khan and U.S. President Donald Trump, the former has given permission for a giant blimp depicting POTUS as an angry baby to be tethered in Parliament Square Garden next Friday.
On July 13, Trump will make his first visit to the UK since taking office and this is just one of the forms of protest expected to greet him. With demonstrations planned outside BBC headquarters and in Trafalgar Square, media will be on high alert as Trump travels through London. The 19-foot-high ‘Trump Baby’ blimp will surely be a big orange focus.
The ‘Trump Baby’ Crowdfunder campaign has raised over £17K to make the “inflatable baby with a malevolent face and tiny hands fly over central London during Trump’s UK visit.” Leo Murray, one of the organizers, told Sky News, “We didn’t get off to the best start with the mayor’s office over this, who originally told us that they didn’t recognize ‘Trump Baby’ as legitimate protest. But following a huge groundswell of public support for our plan, it looks like City Hall has rediscovered its sense of humor. Trump Baby will fly!”
A spokesperson for Khan told Deadline, “The Mayor supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms. His city operations team have met with the organizers and have given them permission to use Parliament Square Garden as a grounding point for the blimp.”
The plan is for the balloon to hover at a height of 30 meters (98 feet) from 9:30AM-11:30AM local time on Friday. However approvals are also required from the Metropolitan Police and National Air Traffic Service.
Khan and Trump have clashed publicly since the latter was elected. Khan was highly critical of Trump’s travel ban and then last spring, Trump berated (and misconstrued) Khan following the London terrorist attack that saw several killed and dozens injured. Khan vowed at the time that he wasn’t “tangoing with this guy. I’ve got better things to do.”
But he also told Channel4 News that a state visit by the U.S. President should be cancelled. “I don’t think we should be rolling out the red carpet to the President of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” Khan said in June 2017.
In November, after POTUS’ retweets of anti-Muslim messages put out by the UK’s far-right Britain First party, Khan said he had called on Prime Minister Theresa May “to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit” and added, “It is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor today told Deadline, “Sadiq’s main priority is the safety of all Londoners and visitors to our city, and as always we are working in very close coordination with the Metropolitan Police and other key agencies to ensure all protests are carried out safely and securely.”
The Brits hate and laugh at him. Pretty much all of the free world does to be honest. I's only the US GOP that seems to think highly of this clown.
I don't really care what they think of him. I don't think highly of a lot of world leaders.. but if one was making an official visit to the US, I would be adamantly opposed to anybody in the US putting forth this type of childish display...
I wonder why they would do something so disrespectful to the POTUS? hmm...
Because they are childish morons...
As Trump draws more people down in the mud, leaving their own dignity on the shore...
Trump wins again.
I disagree - the Brits in particular and Europe in general have a different level of political protest and satire is right there at the top. Not sure if any of you ever saw the Puppet Show - Spitting Image from the 80's ? It was fabulous and funny and relevant and current ... this balloon is not dissimilar in spirit.
There are people (foreigners) in their own country that think Trump is a petulant baby. They have no voice or outlet to protest the asinine things he says and does. I think the balloon manages to adequately express their outrage and disgust with a glance..... tell me how or what else you think would make such a statement while being chivalrous or polite?
London Mayor Sadiq Khan balloon planned to counter 'Trump baby' blimp in London
A campaign has been set up to crowdfund a counter-protest to the “Trump baby” blimp due to fly over London when President Trump visits next week -- with demonstrators aiming to launch an equally giant balloon of Trump foe and London mayor Sadiq Khan.
The 19-foot Trump balloon is set to fly over British parliament next Friday during the President’s three-day trip after Khan, a frequent Trump critic, gave his approval, with a spokesperson saying the mayor “supports the right to peaceful protest and understand that this can take many different forms.”
As a result, Yanny Bruere, originally from Northampton in the U.K. but now living in Spain, is aiming to raise enough money to fly a “baby Khan” balloon. The campaign has already raised almost $24,000, nearly 90 percent of its target.
“In light of the Donald Trump ‘Baby Trump’ ballon [sic] being allowed to fly over London during his visit to the U.K., let’s get a ‘baby Khan’ one and see if FREE SPEECH applies to all and whether or not Mr Khan and the London assembly will also approve this.”
“Under Sadiq Khan, we have seen crime sky rocket to unprecedented levels. People in London don’t feel safe and they aren’t safe, 81 murders this year alone! Khan out.”
London’s Metropolitan Police launched its 81st murder investigation at the end of June after a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death. The incident came hours after Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt warned that “feral” knife attacks, where victims are stabbed several times, are driving up the murder rate in the British capital.
Speaking on his LBC radio show, Farage said: “Let me ask you, does any of you seriously think that if an application to fly an Obama blimp, of Obama as a young, crying baby above Parliament Square when he came here during the referendum to tell us to vote remain, do you actually think that would have been allowed?"
Farage is a POS scumbag who lied and took a political office with the sole intent of destroying the political establishment he was elected to. He's despicable.
As for the counter protest ... good for them. Their right to voice their support.
Interesting that the "counter protest" is NOT to support Trump - but instead it is to criticize the current London Major .... you have to pay attention to understand the difference.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
As for the counter protest ... good for them. Their right to voice their support.
Isn't the visit in 6 or 7 days? Can you get a giant balloon like that made in that amount of time? Looking at the Trump balloon.. that's some custom stuff, I would assume it would take longer to pull that off.. oh well.
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Farage is a POS scumbag who lied and took a political office with the sole intent of destroying the political establishment he was elected to. He's despicable.
Isn't that an indictment that some % of the population is fed up with the establishment?
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Interesting that the "counter protest" is NOT to support Trump - but instead it is to criticize the current London Major .... you have to pay attention to understand the difference.
Like I said, once you get down in the mud, it's hard to tell who is fighting for whom..
I still think it's childish but I hope they all get the attention they so desperately crave.
Absolutely a large % of people were disenfranchised and frustrated with the political system as it was. But essentially they voted to exit Europe based on a bunch of disinformation and lies. Much like Hilary and the Democrats here - the "stay" party/platform simply did a horrendous job of educating people or selling the idea of staying in EU and what advantages it brought ... It was also an appallingly badly managed referendum simply because the 'stay' party thought there was no way they would lose so they half assed it. If the vote was today, after the lies have been exposed the result would be different, it might not even be close. There is a very large movement to try to have a second referendum .... the idea of which I am torn on. Thoughts: [1] you made your bed now lie in it. [2] So many old people voted in fear (because of the lies) that they have royally screwed the pooch for the young generation and this can't be undone for decades (unless it is halted now) ... seems wrong that a bunch of grumpy, fearful old people mess it up for the youth when the youth overwhelmingly support the 'stay' movement.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
Every election in the US there is this notion that some massive wave of young people are going to show up and dominate the election... and they could.. . but they don't. At least until it's too late... then they complain and demand that things be fixed..
That's one of the reason I'm having trouble taking the Hogg kid and his movement seriously.... maybe they will show up in droves but I've heard it before and seldom seen it come true... or they will show up once, make a difference, then get complacent and lose again..
I disagree - the Brits in particular and Europe in general have a different level of political protest and satire is right there at the top. Not sure if any of you ever saw the Puppet Show - Spitting Image from the 80's ? It was fabulous and funny and relevant and current ... this balloon is not dissimilar in spirit.
Agreed. And, there is a current show called "Mock The Week", which pits 6 comedians together on a panel and they make jokes about weekly events. Trump and Brexit tend to be public enemy #1. For the record, the show is hilarious and you can stream it on YouTube. My son loves it and we watch an episode most nights.
I’ll trust the global perspective, they disliked America before, they hate us now.
Probably why Republicans don’t believe in anthropogenic climate change, and our EPA is an absolute joke. The world can easily see through our bs, it’s not that hard.
Yep, I used to love "Have I Got News For You" and "Never Mind The Buzzcocks". The latter being a brilliant comedy show similar to the concept of "Mock The Week", but based on music. I once sat in the audience for a live taping of it at the BBC.
Every election in the US there is this notion that some massive wave of young people are going to show up and dominate the election... and they could.. . but they don't. At least until it's too late... then they complain and demand that things be fixed..
That's one of the reason I'm having trouble taking the Hogg kid and his movement seriously.... maybe they will show up in droves but I've heard it before and seldom seen it come true... or they will show up once, make a difference, then get complacent and lose again..
I would have to say that I agree with this. That and I believe the Dems are losing sight of one basic fact. I've said it on here what seems like a thousand times yet it seems very few grasp the concept. The voters of neither party decide elections. Independent voters decide elections. With about one third of all voters being independent, that is most certainly the part of the electorate that decides every election.
The media on the right has this figured out. They take every issue that the some of the Dem. politicians swing wildly left on and present it as though every Dem. feels the same way. That they're all the same. The media on the left uses the exact same tactic. Meanwhile we see posters on this very board buy into it all. There are factions that exist within both parties that disagree with each other. There's no "one size fits all" for either party.
But I will say if the Dems persist in trying to go in a more extreme left direction, it will make it much harder for them to win elections. Silly ideas like abolishing ICE is an extremely unwise direction to follow. Not that all Dems. share that view but the ones who do seem to be yelling the loudest.
The further left they go, the more Independent voters feel abandoned by them. The more out of touch they seem and the more crazy they sound.
We all know the far right will make excuses and buy into whatever the far right pushes. We also know the exact same thing will happen with the far left. Both extremists of each party need to remember, they don't determine the outcome of elections.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Swing voters / Independents are the deciding factor in every election.
As for the youth and what they do or don't do and if they follow through (DC's point) .... tell me a time other than maybe the 60's - that this wasn't the case? To be honest I have not paid much attention (any) to Hogg - but regardless of what he's up to in 12 or 24 months from now, he has and the FL victims have, kept the gun / mass shooting discussion at the forefront of our collective consciousness far longer than after previous mass shootings/school shootings. I think that's good. Jez - how long after Sandy Hook was it no longer in any news items other than when the conspiracy theorists tried to claim it never happened?
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
I've never been one of those who have tried to blame the media or to try to indicate these students have been used. It's obvious to me that these students are very passionate about their cause and are standing up for something they believe in. Whether I agree with everything they're saying or not, I certainly applaud them for their right to protest and the extent to which they've spread their message.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I'm astonished - but shouldn't be - that any American would be 'ok' with another country's official leader allowing such a display of disrespect to the POTUS.
I would be equally upset if London put up a balloon caricature of Obama disrespecting him.
I hope Trump's administration lets the citizens of London know that he understands how they feel about him and he will do his part to leave them alone.
I'm astonished - but shouldn't be - that any American would be 'ok' with another country's official leader allowing such a display of disrespect to the POTUS.
I would be equally upset if London put up a balloon caricature of Obama disrespecting him.
I hope Trump's administration lets the citizens of London know that he understands how they feel about him and he will do his part to leave them alone.
"I'm astonished that people are OK with a senile racist Pied Piper for morons being disrespected!"
These people all thought Trump winning would grant respect or the veneer of it to him and his followers. They're shocked and angry it didn't.
