Donald Trump’s second state visit to the United Kingdom enters its second day with a formal bilateral meeting and joint press conference at Chequers, following a first day ofroyal pageantry and carefully managed ceremony in Windsor. The schedule bears all the hallmarks of Downing Street’s careful planning. The US president and his wife, Melania, have been feted by the royal family and treated to full military honours, yet kept well away from central London where large demonstrations might otherwise dominate coverage. The parliament is conveniently in recess, removing the possibility of a potentially awkward address.
The visit reflects the meticulous attention to detail that has characterised Keir Starmer’s handling of relations with Washington since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. At home, the prime minister faces economic and political headwinds. Abroad, he has so far won credit for steering a steady course through the rough waters of a second Trump presidency.
That steady hand has been tested recently. Only days before the visit, Peter Mandelson was dismissed as British ambassador to Washington after new disclosures about his association with paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s own relationship with Epstein continues to be the subject of much speculation and the subject may well surface when the two leaders face reporters. Downing Street will hardly welcome such a distraction.
Other tensions run deeper. Britain and the US are plainly divided on key foreign policy questions, notably the war in Ukraine and the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Efforts to present a united front may falter, depending on how far Trump is willing to push his own agenda in public. The recent killing of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk has further roiled the elements of the American right whose increasing influence in Britain already complicates transatlantic diplomacy.
RM Block
But there are some reasons for optimism. The Trump administration still sees value in the “special relationship”, both for security and trade. Officials on both sides have worked to ensure that this visit showcases areas of agreement and downplays points of contention. UK authorities will hope their preparation, along with Starmer’s careful approach, can withstand the volatility that has defined Trump’s political career.
Diplomacy cannot eliminate risk, and unpredictability remains the defining feature of the current White House. But for now the choreography of this visit underlines the continuing mutual interest that binds the two countries together. The challenge for Starmer and his government is to turn a meticulously stage-managed occasion into a durable partnership that will survive the inevitable next crisis – whatever form it takes.
