Armistice Day: Growing criticism of Trump WW1 no-show
11 November 2018
Mr Trump is in France to mark 100 years since the end of World War One
A British minister has appeared to join growing criticism of US President Donald Trump's decision to miss a memorial event on Saturday due to rain.
Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood took an apparent swipe at the president on Twitter, saying "rain did not prevent our brave heroes from doing their job".
Mr Trump is in France to commemorate the centenary of World War One's end.
He cancelled a visit to a US military cemetery, but the White House said other senior officials went instead.
It said the bad weather grounded the presidential helicopter and cited security concerns in hastily arranging a motorcade for the two-hour drive east of Paris.
The US president is also opting to miss the Paris Peace Forum, which is run by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and starts on Sunday afternoon.
Skip Twitter post by @Tobias_Ellwood
Tobias Ellwood
@Tobias_Ellwood
As a duel National I’m sorry to read this.
Rain was a regular feature on the Western Front. Thankfully it did not prevent our brave heroes from doing their job.
Sky News
@SkyNews
.@realDonaldTrump has cancelled his visit to a US war cemetery due to "bad weather" as world leaders mark #armistice100 http://po.st/SRv6yM
End of Twitter post by @Tobias_Ellwood
The criticism from Mr Ellwood, a former soldier, follows a scathing rebuke from Sir Nicholas Soames, a grandson of the wartime British leader Sir Winston Churchill.
The MP tweeted that Mr Trump was not fit to represent the US and said that he was a "pathetic inadequate" for not defying the weather "to pay his respects to the fallen".
Skip Twitter post by @NSoames
Nicholas Soames
@NSoames
They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen #hesnotfittorepresenthisgreatcountry
End of Twitter post by @NSoames
The US president also received backlash from Americans, like former diplomat Nicholas Burns, who said it was the leader's duty to honour their soldiers.
Ben Rhodes, who served as a deputy national security adviser under former US President Barack Obama, also hit back saying weather was not an excuse.
Skip Twitter post by @RNicholasBurns
Nicholas Burns
@RNicholasBurns
Did the President really not visit the American military cemetery today in France? It is his duty to honor our soldiers who fought in 1917-18. Astonishing.
Jill Colvin
@colvinj
The White House says the president’s visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery this afternoon has been canceled because of bad weather. Kelly, his wife and Pompeo expected to go instead.
End of Twitter post by @RNicholasBurns
Skip Twitter post by @BeschlossDC
Michael Beschloss
@BeschlossDC
In the Paris rain, May 1961, JFK and de Gaulle honor soldiers who gave their lives:
End of Twitter post by @BeschlossDC
Skip Twitter post by @brhodes
Ben Rhodes
@brhodes
I helped plan all of President Obama’s trips for 8 years. There is always a rain option. Always.
David Frum
@davidfrum
Two words: contingency plans.
Previous White Houses made them. https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/1061264416526737409 …
End of Twitter post by @brhodes
The US president is said to be going to another US cemetery in a Paris suburb on Sunday.
Last year, foggy weather caused similar security concerns which prevented Mr Trump from visiting the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea.
11 November 2018
Mr Trump is in France to mark 100 years since the end of World War One
A British minister has appeared to join growing criticism of US President Donald Trump's decision to miss a memorial event on Saturday due to rain.
Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood took an apparent swipe at the president on Twitter, saying "rain did not prevent our brave heroes from doing their job".
Mr Trump is in France to commemorate the centenary of World War One's end.
He cancelled a visit to a US military cemetery, but the White House said other senior officials went instead.
It said the bad weather grounded the presidential helicopter and cited security concerns in hastily arranging a motorcade for the two-hour drive east of Paris.
The US president is also opting to miss the Paris Peace Forum, which is run by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and starts on Sunday afternoon.
Skip Twitter post by @Tobias_Ellwood
Tobias Ellwood
@Tobias_Ellwood
As a duel National I’m sorry to read this.
Rain was a regular feature on the Western Front. Thankfully it did not prevent our brave heroes from doing their job.
Sky News
@SkyNews
.@realDonaldTrump has cancelled his visit to a US war cemetery due to "bad weather" as world leaders mark #armistice100 http://po.st/SRv6yM
End of Twitter post by @Tobias_Ellwood
The criticism from Mr Ellwood, a former soldier, follows a scathing rebuke from Sir Nicholas Soames, a grandson of the wartime British leader Sir Winston Churchill.
The MP tweeted that Mr Trump was not fit to represent the US and said that he was a "pathetic inadequate" for not defying the weather "to pay his respects to the fallen".
Skip Twitter post by @NSoames
Nicholas Soames
@NSoames
They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen #hesnotfittorepresenthisgreatcountry
End of Twitter post by @NSoames
The US president also received backlash from Americans, like former diplomat Nicholas Burns, who said it was the leader's duty to honour their soldiers.
Ben Rhodes, who served as a deputy national security adviser under former US President Barack Obama, also hit back saying weather was not an excuse.
Skip Twitter post by @RNicholasBurns
Nicholas Burns
@RNicholasBurns
Did the President really not visit the American military cemetery today in France? It is his duty to honor our soldiers who fought in 1917-18. Astonishing.
Jill Colvin
@colvinj
The White House says the president’s visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery this afternoon has been canceled because of bad weather. Kelly, his wife and Pompeo expected to go instead.
End of Twitter post by @RNicholasBurns
Skip Twitter post by @BeschlossDC
Michael Beschloss
@BeschlossDC
In the Paris rain, May 1961, JFK and de Gaulle honor soldiers who gave their lives:
End of Twitter post by @BeschlossDC
Skip Twitter post by @brhodes
Ben Rhodes
@brhodes
I helped plan all of President Obama’s trips for 8 years. There is always a rain option. Always.
David Frum
@davidfrum
Two words: contingency plans.
Previous White Houses made them. https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/1061264416526737409 …
End of Twitter post by @brhodes
The US president is said to be going to another US cemetery in a Paris suburb on Sunday.
Last year, foggy weather caused similar security concerns which prevented Mr Trump from visiting the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea.
