Larry The Cat Takes A Nap, Extends President Trump's Visit To 10 Downing Street

Downing Street has an official cat — Larry. He is the United Kingdom's "chief mouser" and was a brief security issue for Trump's team on his recent London visit.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Protesters have tried to disrupt President Trump's visit to London. They banged pots and pans outside Buckingham Palace.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTORS: Go home. Go home. Go home.

SHAPIRO: They flew a giant balloon of Trump in diapers holding a phone, but they were no match for this guy.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAT MEOWING)

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

That is Larry the cat. His official title is the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office. He arrived at 10 Downing Street, the home of the British prime minister, back in 2011 after TV cameras caught a giant rat scurrying in front of the doorstep. Larry is the latest in the line of succession of chief mousers at 10 Downing Street since 1929.

SHAPIRO: He's in the news today because of where he decided to nap during President Trump's visit with Prime Minister Theresa May.

ALEX WARD: Seeking shade, a nice place to nap, Larry decided to go under The Beast, which is of course Trump's heavily armored limo that takes him around wherever he needs to go.

CORNISH: Alex Ward - he covers international security for Vox. And for a few moments, Larry was an international security issue.

WARD: What Larry did unintentionally or maybe intentionally - we don't really know what's going on through the cat's head - was to basically stall, albeit temporarily, any plans to move The Beast if necessary.

SHAPIRO: Larry finally crawled out of his napping place, and Trump was on his way. This is not the first time Larry has tangled with a political leader. In 2016, then Prime Minister David Cameron tried to quash anti-Larry rumors in a speech to Parliament.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DAVID CAMERON: And the rumor that somehow I don't love Larry - I do.

(LAUGHTER)

CAMERON: And I have photographic evidence to prove it.

(LAUGHTER)

SHAPIRO: That photo - Cameron and Larry sharing an armchair. Cameron left 10 Downing Street soon after. In the coming days, Prime Minister May will depart, too. Larry has no plans to step down.

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