Longtime friend of President Trump and Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy called the Trump family “American royalty,” and said a state banquet in the United Kingdom on Monday night was a “love fest” between Queen Elizabeth II and the president, Newsweek reported.
Ruddy said the first family was impressed by the British royal family and their homes and palaces in London during the state visit, despite the Trump family’s personal wealth.
{mosads}“The Trumps and Ivanka was there. Don Jr. — I spoke to them all last night — Jared. They were so impressed and these are folks not easily impressed,” Ruddy told the BBC’s Today program.
“Remember they have their own ballrooms and palaces and they have wonderful homes like Mar-a-Lago, where I am a member. So they are used to very high living, sort of American royalty, should we say,” Ruddy added.
At the state banquet, Trump cited the “eternal friendship” between the two countries, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France during World War II.
“I spoke briefly with the Queen when I came in. I spoke to the president a little bit longer,” Ruddy said. “He was very happy and excited. She seemed to be very pleased they were there. The president has tremendous respect for not only the British royals but for Britain.”
“This is a president that loves brands. The Queen has the greatest brand in the world, doesn’t she? I think he is just super impressed by that,” Ruddy also said.
Trump has warmly greeted the Queen, Prime Minister Theresa May and other members of the royal family during his trip.
But, he reportedly called Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, “nasty,” according to The Sun, after she called him “divisive” and “misogynistic” during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has also exchanged jabs with London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Twitter and in interviews over the state visit.