If Media Take Out were a British publication that cared more about grammar and syntax, it would be The Sun, the more than half-century old British tabloid.
It’s the sort of outlet you turn to if you care to hear from Rihanna’s kinfolk that have decided to give interviews that are seemingly unauthorized by Rih-Rih and presumably for cash. The Sun is not, however, the sort of publication you expect to break international news.
Yet, they have managed such a feat recently after reporting that the British government is nervous about Prince Harry’s potentially inviting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama to America-born actress Meghan Markle to his wedding for fear that it will offend the current U.S. president, Donald Trump. Markle, who is a woman and half-Black, understandably, doesn’t fancy the president too much.
Months before she began dating Prince Harry, Markel appeared on Comedy Central’s Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and didn’t mince words when it came to her thoughts about the then Republican presidential primary front-runner. “Yes of course Trump is divisive. Think about just female voters alone,” she said. “I think it was in 2012, the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points. That’s a huge number and with as misogynistic as Trump is and so vocal about it, that’s a huge chunk of it.”
Unsurprisingly, I doubt Markel wants that big bag of racism, and misogyny anywhere near her ceremony. Still, as a source explained to The Sun, “Conversations are ongoing about and ministers will eventually have to decide. If [Prime Minister Theresa May] lays down the law, Harry will just have to suck it up.”
And the rumor mill only intensified after former President Obama granted Prince Harry his first post-White House interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today.
When asked as to whether or not Obama will be attending, Prince Harry claimed: “We haven’t put the invites or the guest list together yet, so who knows whether he’s going to be invited or not. I wouldn’t want to ruin that surprise.”
This is a very cheeky way of avoiding the question “Are you going to invite the Obamas and risk pissing off that apricot-hued jackass or nah?”
While I have a hard time believing anything that comes from a British tabloid, whose stunt levels rival any Atlanta queen scamming on at least four other people’s credit cards, for argument’s sake, let’s pretend The Sun’s reporting is accurate. Is it not absurd that a member of the British royal family has to contemplate not inviting a former world leader to his wedding to an American citizen because it may set off an international incident with the current American president? No matter what story it is — this one or the New York Times’ sit-down interview with Sweet Potato Saddam that sparked debate as to whether or not Michael S. Schmidt acquiesced too much — this entire week has largely been about whether or not folks are essentially coddling this immature, petty, and small man that white people sadly made president.
Prince Harry and The Obamas appear to be actual friends. Prince Harry met Barack and Michelle Obama through the Invictus Games, an annual sporting event created by Harry in 2014. After that, the couple was hosted by Harry, Prince William, and his wife, Duchess Kate for a dinner at Kensington Palace in April 2016. In other words, they like them. This is not the case for Trump, who they’ve yet to meet and may very well likely never meet because he has relentlessly caused controversy before even setting foot there for an official British trip.
He has insulted London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan; he has insulted British law enforcement over the way they handle terrorism; he retweeted racist, right wing groups’ anti-Muslim videos, sparking a condemnation from British Prime Minister Theresa May. Just this month, The Observer published an editorial shoo-shooing away the “special relationship” between Britain and the U.S. thanks to Sweet Potato Saddam, writing, “Trump is a disgrace to the United States.” The editorial went on to declare: “The sooner the American people turn him out of office, the better it will be for them and the world at large.”
Obviously, Trump would feel a way if he weren’t invited to the big ole British wedding due for next May. He is an obnoxious and insecure social climber with an insatiable need to be seen — particularly among the elites who so clearly despise him. However, he’s insulted the British government and British people more than once and it hasn’t even been a full year of him serving in office. Who cares if he’s mad? What is the worst that could happen? He’ll bitch and moan on Twitter? He does that all of the time. Welcome to our world, chaps.
If Prince Harry wants Barack and Michelle at his wedding, he should invite him. No one should bend to the will of that buffoon who constantly bemoans his international stance is “America First.” Don’t worry about a diplomatic crisis because that madman is a walking diplomatic crisis on any given morning. If anything, as America continues to isolate its allies, more world leaders should follow Harry’s rumored lead and let the Obamas stand in his place.
Hell, invite Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, too, for all I care.