London — President Trump is because of arrive for a historic second official state go to to the U.Ok. on Wednesday night in London. He can sit up for the pomp and pageantry of a proper state dinner at Windsor Citadel, hosted by King Charles III.
However the timing of his go to is probably awkward for Mr. Trump and his host, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and can probably convey extra undesirable questions for the U.S. chief, coming instantly on the heels of the Starmer’s choice to hearth his ambassador in Washington, Peter Mandelson, in response to new revelations about his previous friendship with the late convicted intercourse offender .
Trump to get an unprecedented second royal reception
Within the early weeks of President Trump’s second time period, Starmer had an ace within the gap to achieve some favor as he arrived for a go to on the White Home. Starmer got here armed with a royal invitation from King Charles for an unprecedented second official state go to.
It was seen as a savvy diplomatic transfer, with Starmer recognizing Mr. Trump’s admiration for the British monarchy and royal household.
“My relationship is excellent with the U.Ok. and King Charles is my buddy. That is the primary time this has ever occurred, to be honored twice,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters at Joint Base Andrews earlier than his departure on Tuesday.
Carl Court docket/Pool/Getty
The president is ready to be greeted Wednesday with the total pomp, regalia and public spectacle supplied by the U.Ok.’s royals. Once they arrive Wednesday in Windsor, simply west of London, Mr. Trump and first girl Melania can be taken by royal carriage, alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales, to Windsor Citadel, escorted by three totally different navy bands and a regiment of the British Military on horseback.
Occasions on the day will embrace a flypast by British and American F-35 fighter jets, in addition to different Royal Air Power planes, all capped by a state banquet on the citadel on Wednesday night.
“I hate to say it, however no one does it such as you individuals by way of the pomp and the ceremony,” Mr. Trump instructed Starmer at a joint information convention throughout a go to to considered one of his golf programs in Scotland in July.
The second official state go to for Mr. Trump is a rarity in fashionable instances. Traditionally, second-term U.S. presidents haven’t been supplied new full state visits, and have as an alternative usually been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Citadel.
DOMINIC LIPINSKI/POOL/AFP/Getty 
“In the end, it is occurring as a result of, you realize, the royal household — no pun supposed — is the largest trump card this authorities can play at huge moments of worldwide statesmanship and diplomacy,” Roya Nikkhah, the royal editor for the Sunday Occasions newspaper, instructed CBS Information forward of Mr. Trump’s arrival. “There’s so much in it for us and our authorities by way of nationwide curiosity, and President Trump will get all these pictures that he desperately needs to have once more.”
Rising divisions in the UK
Whereas President Trump is briefly abandoning a United States nonetheless rattled by the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk final week, he is touching down in a nation going through its personal political divisions.
Mr. Trump’s go to comes as Starmer faces probably the most important political headwinds of his one-year premiership. His authorities has come beneath mounting strain from an ascendant right-wing political motion at house, in opposition to a backdrop of rising polarization in Britain. Highly effective outdoors voices, together with tech billionaire and former shut Trump ally Elon Musk, have been accused of stoking these divisions
An indication in London organized by far-right, anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson, whose actual title is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, drew greater than 110,000 individuals on Saturday, billed as a rally to “Unite the Kingdom” and at no cost speech. Musk himself addressed the rally by video-link. Eight individuals had been arrested, and a small variety of Robinson supporters clashed with law enforcement officials who had been retaining them aside from counterprotesters.
Ben Montgomery/Getty/Ben Montgomery Pictures 
As CBS Information’ Haley Ott reported from the protest on Saturday, among the many Union Jacks and England flags carried by many members of the group, there have been additionally MAGA hats and American flags.
“Britain is a nation proudly constructed on tolerance, variety and respect. Our flag represents our various nation and we are going to by no means give up it to people who use it as an emblem of violence, worry and division,” Starmer mentioned in a social media submit on Sunday, rebuking a number of the conduct seen on the march.
There has additionally been a lot criticism of the rhetoric employed by Musk when he addressed the weekend demonstration.
“Whether or not you select violence or not, violence is coming to you. You both battle again otherwise you die,” the billionaire, who has been a vocal critic of Starmer since he took workplace in July 2024, instructed the group.
Whereas Mr. Trump might not be on pleasant phrases with Musk, his administration is ideologically aligned with the 2 central themes of Saturday’s demonstration in London: advocating at no cost speech and an aggressively nationalist immigration coverage.
That would make discussions with Mr. Trump diplomatically difficult for Starmer to navigate after they meet later this week.
U.Ok. ambassador’s dismissal over Epstein badly timed for Starmer and Trump
The person who would have had a key function within the group of the president’s state go to is not in his submit. Peter Mandelson was fired by Starmer as British Ambassador to america final week after new particulars emerged of his ties to Epstein. That additionally helped put the problem and questions round Mr. Trump’s personal previous relationship with Epstein again within the headlines, a topic he has dismissed as a Democrat-inspired “hoax.”
Starmer eliminated Mandelson from the important thing submit after days of drip-fed revelations about Mandelson’s years-long friendship with convicted intercourse offender Epstein, who was discovered lifeless in his jail cell in New York in 2019.
Stress began mounting on Starmer to take motion when messages written by Mandelson to Epstein had been launched by the U.S. Home Oversight Committee earlier this month, as a part of a redacted 2003 “birthday guide” to the late financier. They included a sequence of quick notes accompanied by photographs.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty 
Amongst different private messages, Mandelson wrote that Epstein was identified for “taking you abruptly… in considered one of his wonderful properties he likes to share together with his buddies (yum yum),” and that “wherever he’s on the earth, he stays my greatest pal!”
The ultimate straw for Starmer, nonetheless, got here after Bloomberg revealed a collection of emails on Sept. 10, from about 100 emails mentioned to have been exchanged between Mandelson and Epstein between 2005 and 2010. Their contents, together with ideas by Mandelson that Epstein vigorously defend himself in opposition to the sexual misconduct allegations, led to Starmer promptly firing the ambassador.
In a podcast interview, Mandelson acknowledged the veracity of his correspondence with Epstein and expressed his deep remorse that he had ever interacted with him, insisting he by no means noticed proof of the financier’s crimes and had believed earlier rebuttals issued by his attorneys.
The “birthday guide” in query is similar doc The Wall Road Journal first reported the existence of in July, prompting President Trump, who can also be alleged to have written a message for Epstein within the guide, to file a lawsuit in opposition to the newspaper and the proprietor of its mum or dad firm, Rupert Murdoch.
The Wall Road Journal revealed the total doc, exhibiting Mr. Trump’s alleged signature, final week.
President Trump denies writing the message, calling it and the signature “faux.”
Mr. Trump and Starmer are unlikely to keep away from questions from journalists in the course of the state go to this week in regards to the deceased intercourse offender.
