King Charles highlights US-UK bond in speech to Congress noting ‘times of great uncertainty’

“Let me say with unshakeable resolve,” Charles said. “Such acts of violence will never succeed.”

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 relationship with Starmer has soured

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.”

Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn’t scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.

Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

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.

Meanwhile, Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. There’s no indication that he will do so even as the scandal involving the convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.

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.

Charles and Camilla arrived at the nation’s capital on Monday and held a tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump. The royal couple will continue their U.S. trip later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

by Steven Sloan, Josh Boak And Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press

King Charles highlights US-UK bond in speech to Congress noting ‘times of great uncertainty’

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