President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has no closer friend than Britain, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House on a state visit shadowed by tensions over the Iran war.
Speaking after a pomp-filled welcome on the South Lawn featuring a 21-gun salute, Trump’s tone was a world away from his recent jibes at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to join in against Tehran.
“In the centuries since we won our independence,Americanshave had no closer friends than the British,” said Trump, referring to the fact that the royal visit marks the 250th anniversary of the US colonies declaring their freedom from British rule.
Using a phrase prized by British governments since Winston Churchill first used it after World War II, Trump said that the two countries had a “special relationship, and we hope it will always remain that way.”
Trump also praised the British military, saying that “nobody fought better together” with the United States — despite recently deriding Britain’s two aircraft carriers as “toys.”
Afterward, four US jets roared over the White House in a noisy flypast as Trump, Charles, Queen Camilla and First Lady Melania Trump watched.
On the second day of the four-day royal visit, Charles will later address the US Congress and is expected to call in his speech for “reconciliation and renewal” amid the recent strains in ties.
Republican Trump has repeatedly lambasted Britain’s Starmer over his Iran war opposition, alongside the country’s immigration and energy policies.
But Trump — a long-term fan of the British royals who received his own state visit last year — appeared in a jovial mood on a rainy Washington morning as quipped: “What a beautiful British day this is.”
The 79-year-old president even joked about how his late mother, who was born inScotland, “had a crush on Charles,” who is now 77.
Source: Insider Paper
