The title question says it all. In an unexpected headline this morning I found a story in one of the newsletters from The Daily Beast which read, “Queen Appears to Nix Trump State Visit.” (This is the part where my friends on Twitter are supposed to chime in with, “LOL you get newsletters from Daily Beast.”)When you visit the page, the story is led in with what I’m sure the editors thought was a terribly clever quip… “One Doesn’t Think So.”

This was followed by a brief description which already seemed to be leaning toward the vague side.

Queen Elizabeth left out any mention of President Trump coming to London for a state visit during her official speech at the opening of Parliament, which would suggest that he is not expected in the next two years.

Well that would certainly be rather rude on Her Majesty’s part, wouldn’t it? Particularly given the “special relationship” and all that. So did the Queen really deliver the Royal Back of the Royal Hand to the President? This might be more of a case of wishful thinking on the part of the Daily Beast’s editors, as becomes evident if you read the cited source at The Telegraph. All the Beast had to go on was a failure to mention a state visit during the Queen’s remarks to Parliament. The actual reporters in London dug a bit deeper.

Downing Street have been forced to clarify that the invitation still stands, despite the fact that no date has been set for a visit.

Mr Trump is said to have told Theresa May he does not want to come if people do not welcome his visit.

The message was allegedly communicated in a phone-call between the pair in the last few weeks, according to the Guardian.

So basically, the Queen talked about an upcoming visit to her country by King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain in July. Because that visit is already scheduled. Nobody in England told Trump he couldn’t come and the Prime Minister’s office went out their way to stress that the invitation was still on the table. The only issue here is that President Trump hasn’t agreed to it or set a date. According to the White House he spoke to Theresa May last week and it “didn’t come up.”

Isn’t that sort of the opposite of having your visit “nixed” by the host?

If the Daily Beast’s editors really wanted to ping the President on something they could have asked why he would put off a visit just because there might be protesters in the streets when he arrived. Trump draws leftist protesters everywhere he goes in the United States so he’s probably used to it by now. And it’s not as if the Queen can send out the troops to lock up any protesters who show up. (Wait… she really can’t actually do that, can she?)

In any event, any headline you see leading one to believe that the Queen has somehow insulted the President and made him persona non grata in Great Britain for the next two years is… what’s the word for that again? Oh, that’s right. Fake News.