King Charles could see his long-awaited state visit to Washington DC plunged into uncertainty following a new wave of criticism from former President Donald Trump.
The US leader lashed out at the UK on social media and in public statements, calling Britain “once a great ally” and claiming Washington “did not need” British support in its campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged Sir Keir Starmer to advise the king to reconsider the April visit, warning that a royal appearance could be perceived as a diplomatic victory for a president who “repeatedly insults and harms our country”.
Labor MP Rachael Maskell echoed the sentiment and suggested the trip should be suspended unless King Charles focused on directly addressing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Green Party deputy leader Rachel Millward described the US under Trump as a “rogue state” and called the idea of a royal visit “unthinkable” at this juncture.
This comes after Trump’s latest comments aboard Air Force One, dismissing the UK’s potential aircraft carrier deployment as unnecessary and saying: “We already won.”
Downing Street confirmed that Sir Keir held a conversation with the US president, during which both leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and ongoing military cooperation across RAF bases.
