U.K. Won’t Cancel Trump’s Visit Despite “Deeply Disturbing” Images of Caged Children

Donald Trump is still welcome to visit Britain next month, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday, despite widespread revulsion at what she called “deeply disturbing” images of children being held in “what appear to be cages” along America’s border with Mexico.

Theresa May says images of caged children in U.S. are 'deeply disturbing' https://t.co/VgxwMnl8u8 pic.twitter.com/lc44zDuDEg

— Reuters UK (@ReutersUK) June 20, 2018

May, who is pursuing a trade deal with the United States to mitigate the looming economic catastrophe of Brexit, has generally been reluctant to criticize Trump, but in the House of Commons on Wednesday she was forced to address the American president’s abduction of immigrant children.

“President Trump has locked up 2,000 little children in cages and is refusing to release them unless he’s allowed to build a wall,” Gavin Shuker of the opposition Labour Party pointed out during Prime Minister’s Questions. “What does this man have to do to have the invitation she has extended revoked?” he asked.

Watch the MP @gavinshuker who listed the recent actions of @realDonaldTrump , including locking up children in cages, and then asked the Prime Minister what it would take for the President's invitation to Britain to be revoked. pic.twitter.com/dMaLx0R3lE

— ITV News Anglia (@itvanglia) June 20, 2018

In May’s response, she referred to Trump only by his title, and suggested that her meeting with the president of the United States would be an opportunity to raise the issue with him. “When we disagree with the United States,” the prime minister said, “we tell them so.”

May was accused of hypocrisy by some Britons who recall that, in her prior role as Britain’s home secretary, she had hired vans to drive the streets threatening to jail undocumented immigrants.

People chatting about Trump’s visit to Britain like “What’s May gonna say?” As if this wasn’t a thing: pic.twitter.com/1Ju117P2wl

— Leslie Byron Pitt (@Afrofilmviewer) June 19, 2018

Faced with the prospect of mass protests already being planned for London and Edinburgh, few details have been released ahead of Trump’s “working visit” to his mother’s homeland, scheduled for July 13. But outrage has been stoked this week over the images and audio of abducted children circulating online, Trump’s repeated lies about a refugee crime wave in Germany, his decision to withdraw from the U.N. Human Rights Council, and his use of the word “infest” to equate immigrants to vermin.

I wonder if, when Donald Trump meets Theresa May and the Queen next month, he'll still be running concentration camps, asks @mrjamesob. pic.twitter.com/GLobJU43J6

— LBC (@LBC) June 20, 2018

Don't let this obscenity be met with silence.

Take to the streets when Donald Trump comes to Britain on 13th July. https://t.co/zK8jERfOE2pic.twitter.com/s8WfwQo7Dg

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) June 20, 2018

Theresa May's silence is deafening as she fails to call out Donald Trump and condemn his cruel, inhumane and despicable actions. I am disgusted that our government will roll out the red carpet for him next month. The thing about integrity is that you can only lose it once. pic.twitter.com/kWFVQMRy93

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 19, 2018

I don’t want @realDonaldTrump infesting my country! Join the protests on July 13th. https://t.co/igy5YgiyUY

— Pete Sinclair (@pete_sinclair) June 20, 2018

He lies about crime in Britain, he lies about crime in Germany, he lies about and defends his cruel, inhumane, barbaric policy of separating babies and children at the border, a new low even for him, and in less than four weeks, @theresa_may will roll out the red carpet. Really? https://t.co/Y9PyeMrSAD

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) June 18, 2018

Pretty clear which way this lot are heading now.
The idea of trump being welcomed here next month is abhorrent.
if enough people in the UK feel that way there must be something we can do? https://t.co/qH74csD6Qq

— james richardson (@acjimbo) June 19, 2018

Trump is coming to Scotland but we don't want him here. National demo in Edinburgh on 14th July. See you all there. https://t.co/kHo5uwHCPr #ScotlandAgainstTrump

— ScotlandAgainstTrump (@ScotStopTrump) June 11, 2018

Among those who expressed disgust at the images from inside the U.S. internment camps were Trump’s friend Piers Morgan and Lord Sugar, the star of the British version of “The Apprentice.”

agreed this is terrible https://t.co/v4x6MSyMJm

— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) June 20, 2018

Sugar, perhaps channeling Trump too much, was also forced to apologize on Wednesday for posting a racist tweet, in which he joked that African soccer players taking part in the World Cup were also selling cheap sunglasses and handbags on the pitch.

Very troubled after seeing @Lord_Sugar racist tweet. I will be writing to the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards and the @BBC calling for an immediate investigation. Racism has no place in Parliament or society. Swift action must be taken. pic.twitter.com/43aXhBYUyi

— Dawn Butler MP??? (@DawnButlerBrent) June 20, 2018

Top photo: British Prime Minister Theresa May with President Donald Trump at the White House in January 2017, when she invited him to visit Britain.