Oh dear, a bit of a mixed day in the busy life of President Donald Trump. On Thursday during a well-received speech in the old town in Warsaw, he was hailed as a saviour by a rather zealous crowd, only to be brought down to earth again hours later when he narrowly avoided rioting, as he arrived in Hamburg for the start of the G-20 summit.
The morning in Poland
For once the Donald was nearly a Statesman! His speech yesterday, in the shadow of the Warsaw uprising in 1943, ticked all the boxes, mentioning that doomed, yet heroic act by the Jews of the Ghetto against Nazi oppression, he praised Poland for its stand for liberty against existential threats.
His particular brand of 'single syllable politic's,' seemed to go down well with the crowd, as later he asked if the West actually had the will to survive, in this onslaught of worldwide terrorism? He raised the subject of North Korea only briefly, saying that he had some pretty severe things planned and took the time to praise NATO's part in maintaining European stability against an ever-growing threat of Russian aggression.
Good afternoon Germany
He arrived in Hamburg to a totally different reception, meeting with Angela Merkel while police were fighting protestors on the streets, and banners saying Welcome to Hell were in abundance. His stance on climate change has made him less than popular amongst other leaders, but Ms.Merkel swears that they can find some compromise and a solution to the problem and so move forward.
The real talking will start on Friday, but what the powers have to say to each other is really a mystery. No one is in agreement on climate change, on economic growth and certainly the two major threats to World stability, the Korean Peninsula, and the constant Islamist presence, and how to handle all of them.
Again, he needs to be reigned in.
President Trump really is a master of the volte-face, he blatantly ignores what his advisors tell him and proceeds blindly with his own agenda, right or wrong. Many of the statements he made yesterday were the complete opposite of what he said the last time he was in Europe, and certainly what he says at home. He is indiscreet in his future intent, which should be a matter for the ears and eyes that sit around him in the Oval Office and no one else. He blatantly goads not only the press, but his own government and the security forces set to guard their interests. If this is the new diplomacy, he needs to learn some of the old moves as well!