According to foreign media reports cited by Buckingham Palace, the British monarch Charles III is set to receive a state visit from U.S. President Donald Trump in September this year.
In June 2019, Trump (right) met with then-Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
Undoubtedly, if Trump’s visit to the UK is successful, it would set a record!
In fact, during the visit of British Prime Minister Theresa May to the United States in February this year, she presented Charles III with an invitation for a state visit to the UK when she was at the White House. At that time, many media outlets had already analyzed:
If Trump were to conduct a state visit to the UK this year, he would be the first modern president to do so twice in history.
Of course, this matter has also been a bit of a challenge for Trump. After receiving the invitation, there was a high level of opposition within the UK—
Nearly 100,000 people signed a petition against Trump’s second visit to the UK.
However, after half a year passed, the opposition voices diminished, and Trump seemed hopeful of making the trip. In the United States, he is the third U.S. president to visit the UK since George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and will be the fourth U.S. president to do so.
Of course, mentioning the challenges, Trump could recall the twists and turns of his last state visit to the UK.
In January 2017, then-British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Queen Elizabeth II had invited Trump for a state visit. At that time, Trump had just taken over the White House, looking full of confidence. However, a series of events followed, leading to Trump and his wife Melania not being able to make the trip until June 2019.
In 2019, Trump visited the UK, where he and Queen Elizabeth II inspected troops together.
At least, they got to meet Elizabeth II. At that time, Charles was still Prince Regent.
It must be said that as time passes, years have gone by, and Trump has returned to the White House after leaving it; meanwhile, Charles has finally completed the transition from prince to monarch!
Next, meeting old friends brings forth many emotions!
Of course, seeing the once-thriving opposition against Trump’s visit to the UK, Trump himself must have weighed the situation.
According to a report released on July 13th by the Senate of the United States, a survey report revealed that the shooting at a campaign rally in Battelle, Pennsylvania, on July 13th last year was due to “a series of preventable safety breaches.” Looking at this report, it severely criticized the US Secret Service for “disorganization,” including not dismissing the responsible individuals after the attack.
The report stated that on July 13th, 2024, a 20-year-old gunman named Thomas Matthew Crux shot Trump in the ear during the campaign rally, resulting in one death and two injuries among the attendees.
At that time, the US Secret Service was accused of a series of oversights and communication breakdowns during the planning and execution of the event.
Republican Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Landrieu Paul of Kentucky, said, “This is not just a judgment error but a complete collapse of the security system at all levels—apathy, lack of clear procedures, and an incredible disregard for direct threats, all contributing to the tragedy.”
On July 13th, 2024, Trump’s shooting incident: News
In my view, despite changes in times and circumstances, does Trump still feel uneasy?
Of course, the current situation is different from last year.
Now, Trump is the President of the United States, enjoying much stronger security protection than during his campaign phase.
Moreover, with Britain banning the possession of firearms by ordinary citizens, to put it simply, Britain is a gun-free zone!
Trump could very well enjoy the pleasure of riding in a carriage in Great Britain, without worrying about being shot at.
Reflecting on the visit of Stamer to the United States during his time, when he handed over an invitation letter for Charles III at the White House, he initially did not respond quickly. Stamer said to him, “Your Majesty, we hope this visit will be better than the last.”
Stamer continued, “I haven’t received your answer yet.”
“The answer is clear, I represent our great First Lady Melania and myself, the answer is clear, we look forward to visiting and showing respect to the King, as well as to your country,” Trump articulated his thoughts after organizing his words.
Unlike his previous state visit to the UK, Mr. Trump now faces a more mature, seemingly somewhat European-style British Prime Minister—
Since Stamer took office, it seems he has been silent but has acted steadily.
And unlike Trump’s last visit to the UK under the presidency, where he was received by then Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump left the UK shortly after. His successor was Boris Johnson, known as “the British Trump.”
Johnson served three years before his term ended, and then the UK Prime Minister changed again. The new one was Liz Truss, who came in with the intention of collecting her pension. She was ousted just over a month later.
In 2019, when Trump and his wife visited the UK, they took a photo at the entrance of No. 10 Downing Street with then Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband, Philip.
At that time, India’s Rishi Sunak took the stage. After two years of involvement, he completely lost the Conservative Party’s governance power!
This led to the Labour Party’s succession with Stamer.
Recently, there have been rumors about Sunak being laid off and rehired at Goldman Sachs as a full-time consultant.
Mr. Hai couldn’t help but wonder, isn’t he married to a rich Indian woman?
Moreover, the UK Prime Minister’s pension is substantial!
Why would he still go out to work full-time?
Some say, why bother with money?
Perhaps it is because too many politicians are unwilling to compromise with money that the Conservative Party has lost its governance power.
Nowadays, the Labour Party’s seemingly more composed performance seems to make Trump feel less comfortable dealing with May and “British Trump” Johnson, yet he still has to go to the UK.
Sukru has joined Goldman Sachs: Documentation
Recent developments, such as Britain seeking nuclear protection from France, have made Trump feel that there are issues worth paying attention to.
Regarding the EU trade tariff negotiations, Trump hopes to resolve matters on his own terms, and already Brexit-era Britain can offer assistance. All these factors may lead him to have many arrangements for his upcoming visit to the UK. However, taking a photo with Charles III is considered a secondary project.