President Trump will arrive within the U.Ok. Tuesday night time for a uncommon second state go to. However protests threaten to overshadow all of the deliberate pomp and pageantry.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
President Trump arrives in the UK tonight for a uncommon second state go to, however protests and the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to British officers threaten to overshadow all of the deliberate pomp and pageantry. NPR’s Lauren Frayer is in Windsor, and he or she’s with us now to preview Trump’s journey. Hiya, Lauren. Thanks for becoming a member of us.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Hello, Michel.
MARTIN: So what’s on the itinerary?
FRAYER: Effectively, the president arrives tonight. I am looking on the partitions of Windsor Citadel. That is the place Trump will probably be with King Charles tomorrow. Then he meets Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his nation retreat, known as Chequers, on Thursday. It is a huge safety operation, particularly within the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the truth that Trump himself has survived assassination makes an attempt. Officers are sweeping the streets right here in entrance of me. It helps that Windsor Citadel and Chequers are each personal residences, so it is kind of simpler to handle from a safety perspective. However there will probably be an open-air carriage procession in Windsor tomorrow, and Trump can be bringing a delegation of U.S. enterprise leaders right here.
MARTIN: Oh, so – OK, so they are going to be doing a little enterprise offers, too.
FRAYER: Yeah. So the U.Ok. authorities says there will probably be offers involving U.S. banks, a giant new AI information middle being opened in England, and in addition expanded market entry to each international locations’ nuclear vitality sectors. So that is what they wish to give attention to, at the least, however protesters are additionally amassing right here.
MARTIN: You understand, I do not forget that from Trump’s first time period when he visited the U.Ok. There have been just a few actually eye-catching statements, proper? There was that huge orange blimp. It was meant to seem like…
FRAYER: Yeah.
MARTIN: …A child Trump in diapers. Protesters hoisted it by means of London. It form of – it was a really hanging visible. So are there plans for one thing comparable?
FRAYER: That is proper. So I spoke to a member of the Cease Trump Coalition who stated she will, quote, “neither affirm nor deny” plans to fly that very same blimp once more. Her identify is Seema Syeda. She says, look; Trump will not be fashionable within the U.Ok. And he or she’s proper. Polls present that greater than 60% of Britons have an unfavorable view of him. And a few Britons are offended at their very own authorities for inviting him.
SEEMA SYEDA: We’re deeply sad with our prime minister, Keir Starmer, humiliating us by rolling out the pink carpet for this far-right president who has slapped tariffs on our financial system.
FRAYER: And Syeda says individuals are offended, you already know, about commerce, upset in regards to the Trump administration’s assist for Israel’s navy operation in Gaza, additionally upset about how Trump’s immigration views would possibly affect issues right here. Elon Musk really spoke by video to a rally of anti-immigrant protesters in London final weekend, telling them, quote, “you both combat again otherwise you die.” That is what he informed the group. After which there’s, after all, Jeffrey Epstein. Protesters unfurled a large picture of Trump and Epstein on a garden exterior the fort right here. Somebody additionally staged a video of teacups – commemorative teacups with the photographs of Trump and Epstein within the Windsor Citadel present store.
MARTIN: It is fascinating. So the Epstein scandals observe Trump throughout the Atlantic.
FRAYER: Yeah. I imply, Trump was in Scotland this summer time, and protesters there waved Epstein posters. This time, it is really much less about Trump’s hyperlinks with Epstein and extra in regards to the U.Ok. ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson – really, the ex-ambassador. Starmer fired him final week after it got here out that he had written letters of encouragement to the late intercourse offender. And now even a few of Starmer’s allies listed here are asking why he saved Mandelson on for therefore lengthy. You understand, the one individuals who dislike answering Epstein questions greater than Starmer are Trump and King Charles, whose brother was as soon as buddies with Epstein.
MARTIN: That is NPR’s Lauren Frayer in Windsor. Lauren, thanks.
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