Trump tells King Charles ‘Americans have had no closer friends than the British
King Charles and Queen Camilla were greeted by US President Donald Trump and his wife First Lady Melania Trump as they arrived at the White House on the second day of their US state visit.
In his welcome address, Trump refered to a tree Queen Elizabeth II planted on a previous visit to the White House, calling it a living symbol of the centuries-old bond between both nations.
Trump explained the bond between the two countries and their people, saying that young tree, which has now tripled in size and strength, mirrors the relationship between the two nations.
The US president went on, like the US, “it was laid by British hands on American soil”.
He admitted that in the centuries since the US achieved independence, “Americans have had no closer friends than the British”.
The King and Queen Camilla were in high spirits as they reviewed troop ceremony. They walked up the steps to the balcony overlooking the White House South Lawn to observe a flyover and troops marching below.
Trump continued to discuss the histories of the US and UK, saying that eight decades ago Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt met on a ship in the north Atlantic “to outline a vision for free world after World War Two”.
“That understanding of our nations’ unique bond and role in history is the essence of our special relationship and we hope it will always remain that way,” he said.
“Let us go forward with even stronger resolve to carry on our sacred devotion to liberty and to the traditions of excellence that have been shared gift of all mankind.”
The British monarch will give an historic address to US lawmakers after a meeting with President Trump.
He’s expected to use the speech to call for “reconciliation and renewal” between the US and UK amid strained relations over the Iran war.
