By Sarah Sankel
Correspondent
President Donald Trump concluded his second state visit to the United Kingdom on Sept. 18 after three days of meetings and lavish ceremonies. According to The Independent, although some see economic and political potential in Trump’s visit, many found the visit to be overly lavish and extravagant.
According to AP News, Trump’s interactions with the U.K.’s leaders, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, were mutually warm, with Trump expressing how he was “tremendously thankful.” Trump highlighted how the United States and the U.K. have a special relationship, and called his visit to King Charles “one of the highest honors of his life,” according to Reuters.
Although some of the key discussions between Trump and Starmer were related to the current issues in Gaza and Ukraine, little progress was made regarding assistance or a long-term solution, according to AP News.
AP News also mentioned that while Starmer has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, Trump has done little, mentioning at one point that the conflict “doesn’t affect the U.S.”
According to The Guardian, although both leaders expressed their annoyance with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, hardly anything was done.
One topic that was largely avoided during Trump’s visit was Peter Mandelson’s discovered connections with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex offender, according to AP News. Mandelson, who met Trump as the U.K.’s ambassador to the U.S., was originally appointed by Starmer and has now been sacked, according to The Guardian.
Among various deals between the two countries, the U.S. and the U.K. agreed to a $42 billion technology deal that aims to improve ties in AI, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy, according to Reuters.
The agreement was dubbed the “Tech Prosperity Deal.” According to The Guardian, however, U.S. tariffs on U.K. steel “have not budged.”
Before leaving the U.K., Trump suggested to Starmer that he call in the military in order to deal with illegal immigration and secure the U.K.’s borders, according to BBC News. Trump commented that illegal migration “destroys countries from within,” saying that “it doesn’t matter what you use” to solve the problem.
U.K. citizens did not fail to express their opinions on Trump’s visit. Protests both in favor of and against him were assembled in Britain. An Ipsos poll taken just before Trump’s visit reported that 34% of citizens supported anti-Trump protests during the state visit, while 25% opposed them.
An estimated 5,000 people attended an anti-Trump demonstration in London on Sept. 17, and the television network Channel 4 screened “Trump v the Truth” for five hours, according to CNN World. According to The Economist, however, as many as 150,000 people gathered in support of Trump in London on Sept. 13th.
Meanwhile, Trump participated in lavish ceremonies, including a procession and state banquet, according to CNN World. The same article also includes photos of some of the important people who attended the banquet, which included Prince William of Wales and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
During the banquet, according to The Economist, Trump announced that “We are like two notes in one chord, or two verses of the same poem,” highlighting the “special” relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.
