The President left the United Kingdom after an immensely successful state visit, having shot down his critics and reaffirmed America's status as Britain's closest and most powerful ally.
The visit also subtly drew out political realities escape all but the most hawk-eyed U.S. observer, but that many UK conservatives have known of for some time.
...political actors still think they can say one thing in Britain and another dealing with foreign parties...
A most bizarre trait of the modern media age is that political actors still think they can say one thing in Britain and another dealing with foreign parties, and the truth will never catch up with them.
In 2016, when it was assumed Hilary Clinton would certainly be the next President, Boris Johnson said this of then candidate Trump:
"Donald Trump is playing the game of terrorists and those who seek to divide us. He is showing stupefying ignorance that makes him unfit to hold the office of President. I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city, except I wouldn't want to expose Londoners to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump."
Trump focused his ire last week on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, but arguably the previous Mayor (and possible future Prime Minister) Boris Johnson has been far more cutting.
Upon Trump's election Boris was one of the first British politicians to visit the United States, hoping they hadn't picked up on what he had said at home.
Human Events recently warned how untrustworthy Boris is, and true to form when he was invited to meet the President this week he snubbed him, preferring to speak to a liberal caucus in Parliament where he wanted to flex his anti-Trump credentials.
Of course world leaders need to work with foreign powers with whom they aren't always aligned. But it is also important they know where they really stand, and that real progress will only be achieved with those of like mind.
The new UK Chair of Republicans Overseas recently admonished board members for "sharing a platform" with Nigel Farage...
What cements a truly special relationship like the one enjoyed between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher is a union of leaders who have a common purpose and vision. The bond they made and the foundations they put in place are the reason the special relationship remains a peerless alliance to this day.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has supported Trump since the Republican primaries. He's campaigned for him and held firm in his support for him through thick and thin, which even for Farage has been controversial in the liberal-dominated UK media. Farage's speeches in Washington are identical to those in London, what you see is what you get, and the phonies hate him for it.
And the anti-Trump and Farage sentiment amongst the establishment in Britain revealed themselves again over the past week.
The new UK Chair of Republicans Overseas recently admonished board members for "sharing a platform" with Nigel Farage at a pro-Trump event before ousting them.
Republicans Overseas – a retread of Republicans Abroad – is supposed to act as a port of call for ex-pat American GOP supporters. Its current UK incarnation is made up of many Never Trumpers who have escaped political irrelevance in the U.S. and are currently exiled in London.
Generally it's a dormant and largely insignificant organization, but during times of special interest such as the state visit, senior members take to the British airwaves most often either to make apology for the President's latest "gaffe" or to openly criticize him.
Usually the British media will have on three people who declare Trump as the next Hitler, with one seat reserved for a notional Trump supporter. If the President is then insulted and demeaned by even his supposed allies, not only does it further skew the debate, but no British political figure feels able to put their full energy into openly supporting the U.S. President.
The potential however remains great.
In many ways there is a perfect mirror for what happened in the 1980s. Rather than economic Marxism the scourge is now cultural Marxism.
Aside from organizations like the Bow Group and the Bruges Group – both supportive of Trump and his movement – grassroots entities like British Friends of Trump are forming, culminating in phenomena like the "Trump Arms".
The conservative counter revolution is now a worldwide phenomenon, and in the culture war never has the statement "you are either with us or against us" been more true. The centrist era is over, and the future has no room for fence sitting milquetoast phonies.
The truth is whilst the establishment liberal media classes may loathe Trump and Farage, the majority of British people supported his state visit, want to see Britain leave the European Union, and envision a future where Britain and America work ever closer together.
In many ways there is a perfect mirror for what happened in the 1980s. Rather than economic Marxism the scourge is now cultural Marxism.
In the long run institutions will rise to cement what Farage and Trump have achieved, just as they did for Reagan and Thatcher, but right now we need an institution when we can have the genuine article.
If this trip hasn't taught the administration this lesson they need to learn it fast. When it comes to a trade deal, advancing the special relationship and winning the culture war, the only senior British politician the President should trust and rely upon is Mr Brexit: Nigel Farage.
Benjamin Harris-Quinney is Chairman of Britain's oldest conservative think tank The Bow Group @BowGroup.
