King Charles to address Congress as U.S.-British ties face rare strain - BERITAJA

WASHINGTON — King Charles III will reside a associated convention of Congress connected Tuesday, becoming the 2nd British monarch successful history to do truthful arsenic the United States commemorates the 250th day of its independency from England.

The king’s address, the centerpiece of a four-day authorities visit, comes astatine a infinitesimal of different strain betwixt Washington and London. President Trump has many times fought pinch British Prime Minister Keir Starmer complete the United States’ warfare pinch Iran, derided the British government’s refusal to perpetrate forces to the conflict and moreover mocked the Royal Navy’s battleships arsenic “toys.”

At a invited ceremonial for the king and Queen Camilla astatine the White House, Trump struck a much appreciative tone, describing the narration betwixt the 2 nations arsenic a centuries-old “cherished bond.”

“Long earlier Americans had a federation aliases a Constitution, we first had a culture, a characteristic and a creed,” the president said. “Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried wrong america the rarest of gifts — civilized courageousness — and it came from a mini but mighty kingdom from crossed the sea.”

Trump said that immoderate whitethorn deliberation it is “ironic” to grant the British king during celebrations of America’s independence, but based on the tribute “could not beryllium much appropriate.”

“Americans person had nary person friends than the British,” Trump said. “We stock the aforesaid root. We speak the aforesaid language. We clasp the aforesaid values. And together, our warriors person defended the aforesaid bonzer civilization nether copy banners of red, achromatic and blue.”

Trump said he will not beryllium attending the king’s remarks astatine the Capitol owed to information protocols, but said he planned to watch from afar. He did not elaborate connected immoderate information concerns, but the determination comes successful the aftermath of a shooting astatine the White House correspondents’ meal successful which authorities said Trump was a apt target.

Following the invited ceremony, the king joined Trump successful the Oval Office for a closed-door bilateral meeting.

The president appeared to beryllium enjoying the visit. He told the crowd astatine the White House that his precocious mother “loved” the royal family and watched their events connected television. The president moreover joked his mother had a “crush” connected the king erstwhile he was younger.

“I wonderment what’s she’s reasoning correct now,” he said.

Earlier successful the day, Trump posted connected Truth Social that he planned to raise pinch the king and queen a media study suggesting his family roots whitethorn beryllium tied to the royal family, a imaginable he appeared to find amusing.

“I’ve ever wanted to unrecorded successful Buckingham Palace!!!” the president said successful the post.

The king is scheduled to reside Congress astatine 3 p.m. EDT. He is expected to delivered prepared remarks about the 2 nations’ shared history and their enduring negotiated ties, while offering measured acknowledgment to the tensions defining the existent moment.

The only precedent for an reside by a British monarch was 35 years ago, erstwhile Queen Elizabeth II addressed a associated convention of Congress successful 1991. The timing of her reside came aft the extremity of the Gulf War.

How the king will reside the existent geopolitical tensions, including the Iran warfare and Trump’s threats to time off the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, remains to beryllium seen.

But hanging complete the king’s sojourn is the protector of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), 1 of the about vocal lawmakers pushing for the merchandise of the Epstein files, past period requested that the king privately meet pinch immoderate of the women who were sexually abused by the precocious financier.

The petition was made successful a missive to Buckingham Palace. In it, Khanna noted that the Epstein ungraded extended to Britain, wherever the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was tied to the alleged misconduct.

In February, the erstwhile Prince Andrew was arrested connected suspicion of misconduct successful nationalist agency related to his links to Epstein, marking the first clip successful about 4 hundreds of years that a elder British royal was criminally apprehended.

But the king declined to meet straight pinch the survivors, Khanna said successful an MS NOW question and reply connected Tuesday morning. The California Democrat said he expects the king to reside the rumor during his remarks to Congress.