President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the United States has “no closer friends” than the British, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House for a state visit overshadowed by tensions over the Iran conflict.
Trump’s tone in his speech during a pomp-filled welcome that included a 21-gun salute was a far cry from recent broadsides against the British government for failing to join the conflict with Iran.
“In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” said Trump, referring to the fact that the visit marks the 250th anniversary of the US colonies declaring their freedom from British rule.
Trump repeated a phrase valued by British governments since Winston Churchill first used it after World War II, stating that the two countries had a “special relationship, and we hope it will always remain that way.”
The US president also lauded the British military, stating that “nobody fought better together” with the US, after previously dismissing Britain’s two aircraft carriers as “toys.”
Following his address, four US jets flew over the White House in a noisy flypast, with Trump, Charles, Queen Camilla, and First Lady Melania Trump watching.
On the second day of his four-day state visit, Charles will address the United States Congress, where he is anticipated to urge for “reconciliation and renewal” in light of recent strained relations.
Trump, a long-time admirer of the British royals, appeared in a good mood on a rainy Washington morning, looking to the sky and remarking, “What a beautiful British day this is.”
The 79-year-old president even quipped that his late mother had a “crush” on Charles, who is now 77.
Cannons sounded out as a military band played “God Save the King,” the British national hymn, and the Star Spangled Banner, the American anthem.
Charles shook hands with prominent Trump administration officials such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The king and the president, who paid his own state visit to Britain last September, reviewed troops from several branches of the US military.
A band of soldiers in Revolutionary War uniforms, who drove the British out of America two and a half centuries ago, marched past, playing fife and drums.
As the ceremony progressed, construction sounds could be heard from the site of Trump’s $400 million ballroom at the White House.
The Trumps are next scheduled to host the royals in the Oval Office behind closed doors. In the evening, they will return to the White House for a lavish state banquet.
Security has been tight for the visit, which comes just days after a shooting at a White House Correspondents’ Dinner that Trump attended.
The first day of the trip began with a more informal greeting, with the Trumps treating Charles and Camilla to tea and cakes before exhibiting them beehives on the White House grounds.
The second day, however, will contain possibly the most public-facing occasion, with Charles becoming the first British royal to address Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1991.
It comes at a sensitive time, following Trump’s outrage over London’s unwillingness to assist him in his fight against Iran.
In the 20-minute address, Charles is anticipated to appeal to Trump in cautious tones, stating that protecting common democratic norms is “crucial for liberty and equality.”
“Time and again, our two countries have found ways to work together,” he is anticipated to remark.
In the long run, however, he will face a difficult task in appeasing the volatile Republican.
Trump has often chastised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his aversion to war, as well as the country’s immigration and energy policy.
