Forget the spelling – the real difference between Brits and Americans is their attitude to this legend grabbing the wine as the president was rushed to safety

The US and the UK are not, as George Bernard Shaw probably didn’t really say, two nations divided by a common language, but are two nations divided by how they react to a journalist taking some wine from the scene of a probable attempted assassination.

Here’s the journalist in question.

The President almost just got assassinated and members of the media are using the opportunity to steal bottles of wine.

You don’t hate them enough! pic.twitter.com/M2hEwx6tIr

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) April 26, 2026

There were some, largely American voices lining up behind Matt Wallace.

I just can’t get over these images of the press. If there had been gunshots nearby I def would not be standing up, still a target for whatever may be unknown, texting, or looking for wine bottles to steal. It’s a crazy disregard of normal security responses or it’s some other… https://t.co/GBUldCmAik

— Dr. Naomi Wolf. 8 NYT Bestsellers. DPhil, Poetry. (@naomirwolf) April 26, 2026

Classic selfish, self serving, media people https://t.co/uKRh0tvH04

— Steven Eugene Kuhn (@StevenEKuhn) April 26, 2026

Low class beyond belief. https://t.co/WckB0d9zNP

— Daniel Horowitz (@RMConservative) April 26, 2026

Others – mostly British – proclaimed the unidentified guest to be something of a legend.

1.

Not a single British person would bat an eyelid at this. Just hope they thought to take a corkscrew too. https://t.co/wkBoniarJR

— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) April 26, 2026

2.

Getting pissed back in the hotel room is a time honoured journalistic response to war and famine. https://t.co/mSxJpXXULm

— JamesFennell MBE (@FennellJW) April 26, 2026

3.

I mean I come from Glasgow where this is considered fair play https://t.co/TAIk3V90yN

— Neil Stone (@DrNeilStone) April 26, 2026

4.

Seeing a clear divide between Americans and British on this matter.

The majority of British, me included, feel that they "bought and paid for a ticket, which included the wine, nobody died, stiff upper lip, waste not want not, anyone want to swap bubbley for the red?"

And the… https://t.co/GhvY7r3Q23

— Queen Bee (@KingBobIIV) April 26, 2026

5.

Good on her https://t.co/Sdlxyhs84y

— Tom Garratt (@Tgarratt10) April 26, 2026

6.

Media asking themselves “What would Hegseth do?” and following through. This is solid work.

— Andrew Fox (@Mr_Andrew_Fox) April 26, 2026

7.

She’s teaaaa https://t.co/0gfGZjwwsm

— PROJ3CKT commentary (@ProjectCensor) April 26, 2026

8.

Well I reckon you’d need a drink after that. https://t.co/v7JGZBHoTN

— Crowbar Jones 🥘🔪 (@gomichild) April 26, 2026

9.

In all fairness, if I went to a dinner at the White House where some nutjob tried to make a run at POTUS, I’d grab some memorabilia too.

And every time someone came to my house, I’d be like “You see that bottle of wine there? You’ll never guess where I got that…”

— Captain Chaos550 (@CaptainChaos550) April 26, 2026

10.

MAGA see this: "You don't hate them enough!"

Brits see this: "Fucking legends." https://t.co/ZIyEiJvr2U

— Very Brexit Problems (@VeryBrexitProbs) April 26, 2026