London — President Trump arrived in London on Tuesday for a historic second official state go to to the U.Ok., and he can look ahead to the pomp and pageantry of a proper state dinner at Windsor Citadel on Wednesday night, hosted by King Charles III.
However the timing of his go to is probably awkward for Mr. Trump and his host, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and can possible carry extra undesirable questions for the U.S. chief, coming instantly on the heels of the Starmer’s resolution to fireplace his ambassador in Washington, Peter Mandelson, in response to new revelations about his previous friendship with the late convicted intercourse offender .
Trump to get an unprecedented second royal reception
Within the early weeks of Mr. Trump’s second time period, Starmer had an ace within the gap to achieve some favor as he arrived for a go to on the White Home. Starmer got here armed with a royal invitation from King Charles for an unprecedented second official state go to.
It was seen as a savvy diplomatic transfer, with Starmer recognizing Mr. Trump’s admiration for the British monarchy and royal household.
“My relationship is excellent with the U.Ok. and King Charles is my buddy. That is the primary time this has ever occurred, to be honored twice,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters at Joint Base Andrews earlier than his departure on Tuesday.
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The president is ready to be greeted Wednesday with the complete pomp, regalia and public spectacle supplied by the U.Ok.’s royals. After they arrive Wednesday in Windsor, simply west of London, Mr. Trump and first girl Melania might be taken by royal carriage, alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales, to Windsor Citadel, escorted by three completely different navy bands and a regiment of the British Military on horseback.
Occasions on the day will embody a flypast by British and American F-35 fighter jets, in addition to different Royal Air Drive planes, all capped by a state banquet on the fortress within the night.
“I hate to say it, however no person does it such as you folks by way of the pomp and the ceremony,” Mr. Trump instructed Starmer at a joint information convention throughout a go to to certainly one of his golf programs in Scotland in July.
The second official state go to for Mr. Trump is a rarity in trendy occasions. Traditionally, second-term U.S. presidents haven’t been supplied new full state visits, and have as a substitute usually been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Citadel.
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“Finally, it is taking place as a result of, you recognize, the royal household — no pun supposed — is the most important trump card this authorities can play at large moments of worldwide statesmanship and diplomacy,” Roya Nikkhah, the royal editor for the Sunday Instances newspaper, instructed CBS Information forward of Mr. Trump’s arrival. “There’s loads in it for us and our authorities by way of nationwide curiosity, and President Trump will get all these photos that he desperately desires to have once more.”
Rising divisions in the UK
Whereas Mr. Trump is briefly forsaking a United States nonetheless rattled by the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk final week, he is touching down in a nation dealing with its personal political divisions.
Mr. Trump’s go to comes as Starmer faces probably the most important political headwinds of his one-year premiership. His authorities has come underneath mounting stress from an ascendant right-wing political motion at dwelling, in opposition to a backdrop of rising polarization in Britain. Highly effective outdoors voices, together with tech billionaire and former shut Trump ally Elon Musk, have been accused of stoking these divisions
An illustration in London organized by far-right, anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson, whose actual identify is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, drew greater than 110,000 folks on Saturday, billed as a rally to “Unite the Kingdom” and totally free speech. Musk himself addressed the rally by video-link. Eight folks had been arrested, and a small variety of Robinson supporters clashed with cops who had been holding them aside from counterprotesters.
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As CBS Information’ Haley Ott reported from the protest on Saturday, among the many Union Jacks and England flags carried by many members of the gang, there have been additionally MAGA hats and American flags.
“Britain is a nation proudly constructed on tolerance, variety and respect. Our flag represents our various nation and we are going to by no means give up it to those who use it as an emblem of violence, worry and division,” Starmer stated in a social media submit on Sunday, rebuking among the habits seen on the march.
There has additionally been a lot criticism of the rhetoric employed by Musk when he addressed the weekend demonstration.
“Whether or not you select violence or not, violence is coming to you. You both battle again otherwise you die,” the billionaire, who has been a vocal critic of Starmer since he took workplace in July 2024, instructed the gang.
Whereas Mr. Trump might now not be on pleasant phrases with Musk, his administration is ideologically aligned with the 2 central themes of Saturday’s demonstration in London: advocating totally free speech and an aggressively nationalist immigration coverage.
That would make discussions with Mr. Trump diplomatically difficult for Starmer to navigate after they meet later this week.
U.Ok. ambassador’s dismissal over Epstein badly timed for Starmer and Trump
The person who would have had a key function within the group of the president’s state go to is now not in his submit. Peter Mandelson was fired by Starmer as British Ambassador to the US final week after new particulars emerged of his ties to Epstein. That additionally helped put the problem and questions round Mr. Trump’s personal previous relationship with Epstein again within the headlines, a topic he has dismissed as a Democrat-inspired “hoax.”
Starmer eliminated Mandelson from the important thing submit after days of drip-fed revelations about Mandelson’s years-long friendship with convicted intercourse offender Epstein, who was discovered useless in his jail cell in New York in 2019.
Strain began mounting on Starmer to take motion when messages written by Mandelson to Epstein had been launched by the U.S. Home Oversight Committee earlier this month, as a part of a redacted 2003 “birthday guide” to the late financier. They included a sequence of quick notes accompanied by images.
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Amongst different private messages, Mandelson wrote that Epstein was identified for “taking you unexpectedly… in certainly one of his wonderful houses he likes to share together with his buddies (yum yum),” and that “wherever he’s on the earth, he stays my greatest pal!”
The ultimate straw for Starmer, nevertheless, got here after Bloomberg revealed a collection of emails on Sept. 10, from about 100 emails stated to have been exchanged between Mandelson and Epstein between 2005 and 2010. Their contents, together with strategies by Mandelson that Epstein vigorously defend himself in opposition to the sexual misconduct allegations, led to Starmer promptly firing the ambassador.
In a podcast interview, Mandelson acknowledged the veracity of his correspondence with Epstein and expressed his deep remorse that he had ever interacted with him, insisting he by no means noticed proof of the financier’s crimes and had believed earlier rebuttals issued by his attorneys.
The “birthday guide” in query is similar doc The Wall Road Journal first reported the existence of in July, prompting Mr. Trump, who can also be alleged to have written a message for Epstein within the guide, to file a lawsuit in opposition to the newspaper and the proprietor of its guardian firm, Rupert Murdoch.
The Wall Road Journal revealed the complete doc, exhibiting Mr. Trump’s alleged signature, final week.
Mr. Trump denies writing the message, calling it and the signature “faux.”
Mr. Trump and Starmer are unlikely to keep away from questions from journalists in the course of the state go to this week in regards to the deceased intercourse offender.
