Massive 'Trump Baby' Balloon Will Greet POTUS on UK Visit

Plus protests—lots of them
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 5, 2018 5:20 PM CDT

US President Donald Trump is fairly unpopular in Britain, and he's headed there next week. A warm welcome isn't exactly expected, reports NBC News. Rather than paying an official state visit to the UK (an idea that was opposed by nearly 2 million people in a petition), he's making a "working visit," which involves less "pomp and circumstance," the New York Times explained earlier this month. Even so, "we're planning a proper British welcome for Trump," a co-organizer of the Bring the Noise rally, planned for the July 13 and ending across from the House of Commons, tells NBC. Tens of thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators are expected to take to the streets that day; a Together Against Trump march is also planned through the center of the city. The protesters won't be the only ones greeting Trump: A 20-foot-tall inflatable orange "Trump baby" will also be floating over parliament when he arrives.

Leo Murray, 41, staged a crowdfunding campaign to raise enough money to fly the $6,500 orange balloon shaped like a baby that strongly resembles Trump; the campaign ended up raising so much that if it ends up raising its stretch goal of $26,400 (it's mere dollars away as of this posting), it plans to send a smaller version of the Trump baby anywhere else the POTUS plans to visit: It will "follow little Donald around the world, haunting his diplomatic engagements wherever he goes!" the campaign reads. "If we can troll Donald from the skies wherever he goes for long enough, he'll start seeing #TrumpBaby in his dreams!" London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave Murray permission Thursday to tether the blimp to Parliament Square, the BBC reports; a statement from the mayor's office says he "supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms." Protests are also planned in Scotland, where Trump owns two golf resorts and plans to spend time during his visit. (More President Trump stories.)

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