Nato leaders appeared to mock Donald Trump at a Buckingham Palace reception.
A huddle which included Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Princess Royal was filmed apparently gossiping about the US president’s unorthodox style on Tuesday night, although Mr Trump is not mentioned by name.
During the casual chat, as the leaders sipped drinks, Mr Johnson can be heard asking French President Emmanuel Macron: “Is that why you were late?”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says: “He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.”
.@JustinTrudeau, @EmmanuelMacron, @BorisJohnson and other VIPs shared a few words at a Buckingham Palace reception Tuesday. No one mentions @realDonaldTrump by name, but they seem to be discussing his lengthy impromptu press conferences from earlier in the day. (Video: Host Pool) pic.twitter.com/dVgj48rpOP
— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) December 3, 2019
“You just watched his team’s jaws drop”
Later in the conversation Mr Trudeau adds: “You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor.”
A video clip of the chat, filmed as world leaders met ahead of a summit to mark Nato’s 70th anniversary, has been viewed almost four million times since it was posted online.
It came after Mr Trump branded Mr Macron’s comments that Nato is “brain dead” as “very nasty”, before the pair met on Tuesday at the US ambassador’s residence in London.
Nato spending
Mr Trump also pressed Mr Trudeau on Canada’s Nato spending at their bilateral meeting.
Meanwhile, following an evening reception hosted by Mr Johnson at Number 10, a member of the US Secret Service was pictured leaving with a Christmas bauble gifted to leaders.
Each Nato leader was given one of the decorations and invited to hang it from the Downing Street tree.
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