Donald Trump currently is in France with First Lady Melania Trump, on a visit where he’s behaving in ways sure to offend Europeans and Americans alike. Again.
Despite his excitement about celebrating the end of a war, Trump abruptly changed his plans Saturday—because it was rainy.
The US leader was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in the French village of Belleau – the site of a 1918 battle in which the Americans and French repelled German forces. More than 1,800 Americans died there.
The battle looms large in the history of the US Marine Corps.
Mr Trump was supposed to participate in a wreath-laying and a moment of silence at the site, but heavy rain prevented him from arriving via helicopter to the site, which is more than 50 miles east of the French capital.
Why didn’t he just get in a car and take an hour’s drive, you say? We’ll never know. The reviled American leader sent underlings John Kelly and his wife, plus Mike Pompeo, in his absence.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, however, managed to brave the rain to pay their respects.
Perhaps if the fearless European leaders had warned Trump that umbrellas weren’t going to be required, he would have taken time out from blaming California for being on fire and paid his respects to Americans who weren’t draft-dodging chickenhawks.
Seriously though, someone really should have told him he wouldn’t need an umbrella. It’s no secret that the complex devices are challenging for Trump.
This was in October. The photo up top was six months earlier.
Look. Everyone knows that umbrellas are mind-bendingly hard to use. Rudely, folks on social media are pointing out that somehow, at least one previous American president managed to be much better at umbrellas than Donald Trump.
Remarkably enough, there is also video evidence that the Canadian Prime Minister—who, like Donald Trump, was also once forced to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in wars long gone by (WWII, to be specific)—somehow has also learned to use an umbrella.
Practice pays off, folks.
Le sigh.