“For all that time,” Charles said, “our destinies have been interlinked.”
“Let me say with unshakeable resolve,” Charles said. “Such acts of violence will never succeed.”
Even as the king focused on common interests, there were subtle nods at issues that have divided the U.S. and the U.K., particularly when it comes to global affairs. He said the countries “cannot rest on past achievements” as the Iran war tests their relationship. And he urged “unyielding resolve” in backing Ukraine against Russia, while heralding the NATO alliance that Trump has repeatedly undermined.
The king began his day at the White House, where he and Trump greeted each other warmly during a ceremony on the South Lawn. Appearing under gray, drizzly skies, Trump quipped that it was a “beautiful British day” before shifting his focus to the shared history of the U.S. and U.K.
Making no mention of his dispute with Starmer, Trump drew a line from King John’s sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215 to the American Revolution.
“American patriots today can sing, ’My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,’ only because our colonial ancestors first sang, ‘God save the King,’” Trump said.
The two leaders huddled in the Oval Office for a meeting that was closed to the public, reducing the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign officials that have become routine during Trump’s second term. Afterward, Trump said it was a “really good meeting” and Charles is a “fantastic person.”
Trump’s up-and-down relationship with Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the Republican president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York blamed Republican policies on Monday for straining the U.S.-U.K. relationship.
“Hopefully, the king’s visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries said.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has been a leader of the push on Capitol Hill for a reckoning over Epstein, said he was told by the British ambassador to the U.S. that there would be an acknowledgment of the survivors during the congressional address.
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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.
