Trump said the King is coming 'very shortly' and that a state banquet will be held on April 28. According to major media reports, the King and Queen will visit Washington DC, New York, and a third location, possibly Philadelphia or Bermuda, and the King will address Congress. The visit has sparked political controversy in the UK due to the ongoing Iran war.
Several politicians have called for the visit to be postponed or cancelled. ' Former UK ambassador to the US Sir Peter Westmacott said the visit is 'problematic' while the war continues. ' Prime Minister Keir Starmer supports the visit, stating it celebrates shared history.
If it was to go ahead, it would go ahead against a backdrop of a war and that, I think, is quite difficult - and the last thing that we want to do is to have Their Majesties embarrassed.
A YouGov poll found 46% of Britons think the visit should be cancelled, 36% say go ahead, and 18% don't know. An Ipsos poll found 48% of Britons believe the 'special relationship' does not exist. ' Trump also said the King 'would have probably helped' the US with Iran if it were up to him.
Buckingham Palace responded that the King is mindful of the government's position on nuclear non-proliferation. Former Trump adviser John Bolton advised countries with monarchies to invite Trump for state visits to ease tensions. The Stop Trump Coalition called the visit a 'national embarrassment' and staged a mock protest.
I suspect it would be safer to delay it but I don't know the details.
According to GB News, King Charles will not meet with Jeffrey Epstein survivors due to active UK police investigations. ' Nigel Farage urged the King to confront Trump over the Falkland Islands row. According to Daily Express - Main, a lip-reader claimed Trump warned the King about Putin wanting war and wiping out populations.
I personally think that at the moment, while this war is continuing, it is problematic.
We want to maintain a relationship with our closest ally. They defend this country in ways that many, many citizens have no idea of. Sharing security and defence intelligence that has kept this country safe. I do not want to jeopardise that because Keir Starmer is making a mess of things.
Regrettably, he is no friend of the united kingdom, he is no leader of the free world. He is a dangerous and corrupt gangster and that is how we must treat him.
Keir Starmer should advise the King that the state visit to the US scheduled for April should be called off. At a time when Trump has launched an illegal war that is devastating the Middle East and pushing up energy bills for British families, it’s clear this visit should not go ahead.