# Is Trump demanding a golden carriage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563 "2017-04-16T14:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/1 "2017-04-16T14:31:59Z")
We’ll skip the obvious joke, since this is General Questions and I’m looking for a factual answer. According to [_The Times_](https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-claims-immunity-president-protesters-lawsuit-182157762.html) the ‘President insists on a carriage journey down The Mall to Buckingham Palace.’ > [@](#): > > The White House has made clear it regards the carriage procession down the Mall as an essential element of the itinerary for the visit currently planned for the second week of October, according to officials. That’s pretty much all I can read, since I’m not registered. Other articles I’ve found all point to the one in _The Times_. So, is Trump ‘demanding’ a carriage ride? Or is he just saying he really, really wants one, and _The Times_ are just spinning his desire negatively? IOW, is there any independent confirmation of the paper’s claim? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/2 "2017-04-16T14:45:08Z")
The articles aren’t exactly clear on this matter. Note this one, from [The Hill:](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/328970-trump-wants-to-ride-in-gold-plated-carriage-with-the-queen) > [@](#): > > President Trump has requested a ride with Queen Elizabeth II in a gold-plated carriage during his visit to the United Kingdom this October, according to a report by The Times of London. > > The tradition of world leaders taking a carriage ride along the mall from the Royal Mews to Buckingham Palace with the Queen is not entirely unusual. > > The decision has not yet been confirmed, and aspects of Trump’s visit are still in flux. > > While President Obama chose not to ride in such a carriage during his U.K. visit, other world leaders — including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Chinese President Xi Jinping — have taken such carriage rides during state visits. Sounds a bit different in that context and note the use of “request” instead of “demand”. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/3 "2017-04-16T14:50:11Z")
**[Snopes is saying](http://www.snopes.com/2017/04/15/trump-carriage-ride-london/)** they don’t have a response from the White House yet. They do point out that: > [@](#): > > This mode of travel isn’t so unusual, as taking a carriage ride along the Mall from the Royal Mews to Buckingham Palace with the Queen is something of a tradition for world leaders. The best I can see is an unsubtantiated leak that the WH wants it and it being phrased as a demand rather than a request. It’s not something unique or special if it’s a request though. A lot of the coverage seems to imply Trump wants something abnormal which it plainly isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/4 "2017-04-16T15:05:58Z")
That’s why I’m asking. There’s no doubt that the carriage ride is routine for visiting Heads-of-State. But _The Times_ said the White House ‘made it clear’ that a carriage ride is expected. It’s one thing to request something, and another thing to ‘make it clear’ you expect to receive it. As a liberal, I have my opinions of Trump. As a member of The Straight Dope, I like having factual information, even if it disagrees with my opinion. When a claim is made, I like to see evidence supporting it. As far as I can see, _The Times_ is the only outlet making the claim, and all of the other outlets are quoting _The Times_. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/5 "2017-04-16T15:13:39Z")
Since the source in the article is unnamed “officials”, it’s unlikely we’re going to know one or the other. As noted here (and in the Pit Thread), this isn’t the best written article, so I’d look for independent confirmation myself. Remember [this claim about Trump](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=822523)? This new one seems similar. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/6 "2017-04-16T15:30:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > As far as I can see, _The Times_ is the only outlet making the claim, and all of the other outlets are quoting _The Times_. It’s the problem with news by leaks. In some cases there are no pieces that can be checked against independent sources for at least minimal vetting. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/7 "2017-04-16T20:14:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Since the source in the article is unnamed “officials”, it’s unlikely we’re going to know one or the other. As noted here (and in the Pit Thread), this isn’t the best written article, so I’d look for independent confirmation myself. Remember [this claim about Trump](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=822523)? This new one seems similar. On the other hand, the report that Trump had made requests pursuant to having tanks and missiles roll down Pennsylvania Avenue for the Inauguration parade, widely ridiculed by conservative sources when it surfaced in January, ended up being confirmed: > [@](#): > > The inaugural committee “is seriously considering adding military vehicles to the Inaugural Parade,” a Pentagon official wrote in an internal email sent in early December. "The conversation started as ‘Can you send us some pictures of military vehicles we could add to the parade.’ " … The documents back up a previous report that the Trump administration wanted to include tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade. > > In January, an inauguration source told The Huffington post that Trump was “legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade,” in reference to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang that are often interpreted as displays of aggression. [http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/325154-trump-team-wanted-military-vehicles-in-inaugural-parade-report](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/325154-trump-team-wanted-military-vehicles-in-inaugural-parade-report) The ‘golden carriage’ story may turn out to be true, or not–past experience shows that White House leaks _can_ later turn out to have been accurate reports. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/8 "2017-04-16T20:28:17Z")
Your report does not say that Trump,himself, made the inquiry, and in the end no request for military vehicles was actually made. Not sure what that is supposed to prove. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/9 "2017-04-16T21:15:34Z")
A White House spokesperson told People magazine that it isn’t true: > **[Donald Trump Wants Gold Carriage Ride in UK: Report](https://people.com/politics/donald-trump-reportedly-wants-carriage-ride-uk-visit/)** > > President Donald Trump wishes to proceed with a carriage ride during his visit to Buckingham Palace, despite security concerns ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/10 "2017-04-16T21:24:15Z")
Could they rent a tumbrel from France? I’d really like to see him riding a tumbrel… ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/11 "2017-04-16T22:11:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Your report does not say that Trump,himself, made the inquiry, and in the end no request for military vehicles was actually made. Not sure what that is supposed to prove. If ‘the White House’ requests pictures of military hardware that could appear in the Inauguration Day parade, does it matter whether or not we have video or audio of Donald Trump himself making the request? People draw conclusions about a President based on what his staff says and does. (This occurs whether or not you feel that such inferences are legitimate.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/12 "2017-04-17T01:08:22Z")
The OP asks if Trump did something. If that something was done my a member of his staff, then yes it does matter for the purpose of answering that specific question. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-demanding-a-golden-carriage/784563/13 "2017-04-17T01:26:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The OP asks if Trump did something. If that something was done my a member of his staff, then yes it does matter for the purpose of answering that specific question. For the purpose of this thread, I don’t think it does matter. I don’t believe the staffer would not make such a ‘request’ unless directed to do so.