US-UK friction forms backdrop to King’s speech

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The king addresses Congress

Correspondents’ dinner shooter in court

Conspiracy theories surge

Tensions between the U.S. and the United Kingdom are simmering as King Charles III prepares to address Congress today, from President Trump’s frustrations toward NATO amid the Iran war to tumult in bilateral trade.

Eyes will be on how the king seeks to alleviate these strains, and how much — directly or indirectly — he is willing to call out areas of agitation for the U.K.

Charles has been less politically outspoken since becoming the king, but has long championed the fight against climate change, which Trump has actively undermined. The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai and Julia Manchester report, the U.K. is looking to him to help smooth over what’s long been considered a “special relationship” with the U.S.

As Charles has enjoyed warm relations with Trump, the president has increasingly bashed his U.K. counterpart, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly for his refusal to assist the U.S.’s war in Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The dispute over Iran has also tied into two of the U.K.’s overseas territories.

Before the war started, the president railed against the U.K.’s plan to transfer the Chagos Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius. The U.S. and U.K. have shared a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, since the 1970s.

Although the transfer would allow both countries to continue using the base, Trump called the planned move a “great act of stupidity.” Shortly before the U.S. launched its initial strikes on Iran, the president said the U.S. may need to use Diego Garcia to “eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous” regime if no deal on Iran’s nuclear program is reached.

The U.K. ultimately paused its transfer of the islands earlier this month.

U.K. officials were up in arms late last week following a report of an internal Pentagon email suggesting Trump is considering various actions to punish NATO allies for not supporting the Iran war. One possibility: the U.S. reviewing its position on “imperial possessions,” including the Falkland Islands near Argentina.

Even Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform U.K. party and a frequent Trump ally, pushed back, saying the Falklands “are and will always be British.”

Trade has also been a thorny issue for the U.S.-U.K. relationship, as the president has turned to tariffs to achieve what he says is a more level playing field with America’s closest partners. The U.S. reached a wide-ranging trade deal with the U.K. last year and one specifically on pharmaceuticals in December, but tensions remain.

A committee of the British Parliament launched an inquiry earlier this month into the trade deal amid concerns that it’s not delivering for the U.K. A release announcing the probe noted the foundations of the U.S.-U.K. trade relationship are “shifting rapidly.”

Any mention of climate change by the king will likely be seen as a shot at Trump, who has regularly brushed off environmental efforts throughout his time in office, calling climate change a hoax and gradually weakening regulations.

Despite vowing to scale back his passion projects as the king, Charles did make an appearance at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2023.

He has also been an active supporter Ukraine in its war against Russia, while the U.S. under Trump has pulled its direct support for Kyiv and shifted toward Moscow’s position in peace negotiations.

One issue that both the president and the king may be keen to avoid is the continued controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and his contacts. Trump has been openly pushing for the country to move on from its focus on the issue, and Charles has dealt with the scrutiny surrounding his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who had ties to Epstein.

Royal Palace lawyers said Charles will not meet with Epstein victims and their families during his trip, despite their requests for a sit-down, citing the ongoing criminal investigations. Amplifying calls for accountability during his address may help the king blunt some of the disappointment over that decision.

▪ The Guardian: Charles meeting with Trump off camera.

▪ CNN: Charles’s visit in pictures.

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