Donald Trump cancels visit to London to open US embassy

Donald Trump - Image credit: Press Association

Donald Trump has cancelled his planned trip to open the new American embassy in London amid fears he would face a storm of protest.

The US President had been expected to make his first visit to Britain since entering the White House a year ago for the opening.

It is thought that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will now officially cut the ribbon on the embassy at a much more low-key event next month.

President Trump confirmed his visit was no longer happening in a typically bullish tweet in which he laid the blame at the previous Obama administration for “having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for ‘peanuts’".

He added that the new embassy had been built “an off location for 1.2 billion dollars”, commenting “Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!”

It is now not known when President Trump will finally come to this country for the first time since his inauguration a year ago.

He has accepted Theresa May's offer of a full state visit – which would include meeting the Queen – but no date has ever been set and it is not expected to happen at any point in the near future.

Relations between the UK president and the Prime Minister have become strained by a series of rows over the past 12 months.

Last month, Theresa May said the president had been "wrong" to retweet anti-Muslim videos posted by the far-right group Britain First.

The Prime Minister also condemned his "unhelpful" decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

She has also been at odds with President Trump over his decision to withdraw America from the Paris climate change accord, comments he has made about London mayor Sadiq Khan and his ban on immigration to the US from citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "An invitation for a state visit has been extended and accepted."