Split Screen TV

Playbook: “Get ready for some jarring juxtapositions on cable news networks today as images of Donald and Melania Trump, bathing in the pomp and ceremony of a state visit to Britain, contrast sharply with the tumultuous, era-defining moments unfolding here in D.C.”

“The president and first lady will spend the day at Windsor Castle, the oldest and grandest of Britain’s many royal residences, for a long-planned program of banquets, bejeweled carriages and military parades.”

“But American viewers will see these charming images interspersed with minute-by-minute coverage of bitter domestic disputes over political violence, free speech, public health and the future of the U.S. economy. A little cognitive dissonance may be required to get yourself through the day.”

“Two minor problems. Firstly: it’ll probably rain. (Because of course it will.) Secondly: Trump remains spectacularly unpopular in the U.K., meaning organizers face the rather awkward prospect of thousands of angry protesters trying to muscle in.”