President Donald Trump and his advance team were highly criticized as images of U.S. soldiers on their hands and knees rolling out a red carpet in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plane on the tarmac in Alaska made the rounds on the internet on Friday.
But the President of the United States was not on hand to greet the seven European leaders who jetted to Washington, D.C. and headed to the White House on Monday.
This is Putin’s new phone wallpaper.
American soldiers kneeling under the big letters reading RUSSIA.
To fix the red carpet.
For a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/ekAMw5LpRo
— Olga Rudenko (@olya_rudenko) August 15, 2025
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Critics are angered that Trump instead had U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley at the door to welcome them.
“A gathering of so many European leaders at the White House at one time with such little notice is unprecedented in recent times,” according to The Daily Beast. The leaders include: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte.
Trump did take the time to boast that he was hosting the European leaders: “A big day at the White House. We have never had so many European Leaders here at one time. A great honor for America!!! Let’s see what the results will be??? President DJT.”
Trump greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, but no red carpet.
Watch the video below or at this link.
Zelenskyy arrives at the White House and is greeted by Trump pic.twitter.com/QvJnSexVtU
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 18, 2025
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