Trump Says King Charles III State Visit Could Repair UK Relations; Criticises Starmer, Iran Policy
Donald Trump, the former US President, has asserted that the forthcoming state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla could significantly improve the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. Speaking in an interview, Trump described King Charles as "fantastic" and a "great man," affirming that the visit would be "absolutely a positive."
The King and Queen are scheduled for a four-day visit to the US, commencing on Monday. This itinerary includes a meeting with Trump at the White House and an address to Congress. The visit, according to the Foreign Office, marks the 250th anniversary of US independence, ostensibly celebrating a partnership of "shared prosperity, security and history."
Trump Criticises Starmer on Immigration and Iran
Trump also weighed in on his relationship with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Following a previous social media post where he called Lord Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US "a really bad pick," Trump elaborated, suggesting Starmer could only "recover" if he reversed course on immigration and increased North Sea oil and gas extraction. "If he opened the North Sea and if his immigration policies became strong, which right now they're not, he can recover, but if he doesn't, I don't think he has a chance," Trump stated.
Sir Keir responded by asserting that his decisions are based on the "British national interest," not external pressures. He reiterated his stance against being drawn into the conflict in Iran, a position that Trump has criticised, claiming allies "should've been there" despite his assertion that the US "wiped Iran's military out" without their help, describing his calls for support as a "test."
Tariff Threat Over Digital Services Tax
Towards the end of the interview, Trump threatened the UK with new tariffs if it maintained its 2% digital services tax on large US technology firms. He warned that the US could "meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful." This underscores persistent US pressure against sovereign tax measures enacted by its allies.
