[0:00]No pressure, Your Majesty. 250 years ago, the United States officially declared its independence from Britain. But now, the British monarch is in the
[0:11]US trying to save the relationship. King Charles and Queen Camilla have landed in Washington for a state visit beginning a diplomatic charm offensive at a really
[0:22]tricky time. Transatlantic ties are strained, to say the least, and US President Donald Trump has recently slammed the King's warning Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not joining US
[0:34]attacks on Iran. So, enter the monarchy's soft power and possibly the King's most diplomatic performance yet. And to help us
[0:45]understand this, Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri, President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs, formerly from Chatham House in the UK. Welcome to you,
[0:55]Leslie. Talk to us a bit about why Charles is in Washington, or maybe better put, has been made to go there. What does Britain want from this visit,
[1:05]and how does Charles fit into that? Well, I think the, you know, first of all, the the Americans are have always, for a very long time, had
[1:14]great admiration and respect for the royal family. It's been arguably more more popular here in the United States than than even in the UK.
[1:25]Um, and I, you know, the the King clearly is is seen to rise above politics. This is a deeply political time. It's a polarized time. It's a
[1:37]divided time um, for the transatlantic partnership, for the US and the UK in particular. And I think the King, um, has, you know, very, uh,
[1:47]thoughtfully decided to take this visit. He didn't entirely know, you know, what the how things would unfold in the in the days and and leading up to
[1:57]his arrival to today. Um but nonetheless, I think that he believed and believes that he can sort of help the US and the UK rise above the current
[2:08]uh very, very sour political moment um to highlight the importance of this relationship. He's traveling because it's America's 250th
[2:20]birthday. Uh should be an extraordinary moment for two countries with a deep and long and extensive and multi-faceted
[2:30]relationship. And you know, were it not for this war um and the the very divisive presidency that Donald Trump has led over well over the last year,
[2:41]uh that might have been the right play. I think it's a it's going to be difficult to pull this one off, but certainly if anybody can do it, um it's uh it's Britain's king. Mhm. What does
[2:52]Donald Trump on the other hand want from this? Is it less maybe a diplomatic event for him and more of a a spectacle? Well, you know, President Trump has huge
[3:04]admiration for the royal family. He couldn't have had more respect uh for Her Majesty the Queen um than he did. And those visits were very well
[3:14]documented. They were not easy visits either. Uh but they went remarkably well. Um he certainly would be I'm sure he's completely thrilled that the king has traveled to
[3:25]Washington. It um makes him look it makes him President Trump look very good. It sort of increases uh you know, his visibility. It takes
[3:36]him away from politics. Um he likes the the diplomacy of it. He likes the the television of it. Um and he just has so
[3:45]much regard um obviously for the Queen now for the King that I I for him it's you know, it's sort of pure joy. If he can turn that into good television
[3:56]uh get his approval ratings above that 38% where they seem to be stuck. I mean he's not a popular president. Things are not going well for him uh
[4:06]with a war, with the economy, with any number of dimensions. So this is a regal visit. It's certainly it's very very good um for President Trump.
[4:17]Leslie, Donald Trump has publicly insulted Keir Starmer over the war in Iran. How will Charles handle the disrespect uh shown to his own Prime
[4:28]Minister? I really think that on this occasion in public appearances that that the King will rise above it, that he will really
[4:37]try to focus Congress, uh the President, the American people on the historical significance, the long
[4:46]duray um you know really on America's 250th and what this relationship has meant over such a long period of time. I think he will try to avoid any public
[4:57]references to um the very difficult politics and rhetoric between President Trump and Keir Starmer. I think that would sort of bring it down to the mundane.
[5:08]And the King is really there as head of state um but even more than any other head of state he he holds a very significant and distinctive role for Americans and certainly for this
[5:19]president. Now this visit comes after the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday evening that was interrupted by uh gunfire. Um is the King safe in the
[5:28]United States right now? Um well I think we all certainly hope so uh and that's incredibly important. I would I would expect fully expect that
[5:40]the um Secret Service, that US security is really geared up for this visit. This is not something that anybody would take lightly. Um uh uh uh the king of of the
[5:51]UK, um the um American president, I mean, you know, this Having said that, I think what we saw on Saturday was extraordinary. It certainly
[6:02]raised a lot of significant questions about um the security surrounding Trump. Those who are expert on this are very concerned. It's not the first attempt on
[6:12]on President Trump's life, as we know. Um and so it's very bold of the king to make the decision. There clearly was a moment of
[6:22]reconsidering the visit and to make the decision to to carry on, I think is uh probably the right decision given where we are now. Not without Any trip like
[6:33]this is not without some security concerns, but I think overall um it should be a very safely executed visit. Leslie, stay with us. I'm just going to play some uh opinions of people
[6:45]on the streets of London. We'll hear what they had to say about King Charles's visit to the White House. I'm not particularly I'm not a royalist, but I feel really sorry for the King and
[6:55]Queen having to go. Uh it's put them in a really difficult position. Charles is an environmentalist, and we know what Donald Trump's views are on that. So, I think it's uh going to be really quite
[7:06]tough for King Charles. Charles should go there and have a nice dinner and uh have a nice look at the the gardens and then uh There were some protesters outside Buckingham Palace on Monday, too,
[7:17]speaking out against the King's visit to Washington. The so-called Stop Trump Coalition says it's inappropriate for the British monarch to wine and dine with President Trump. At the moment,
[7:27]they say Trump's war on Iran has destabilized the Middle East and driven up prices for normal people. Back to you, Leslie. Do these protesters
[7:39]have a point? How appropriate is the timing of this visit. I mean, look, it's terrible timing, let's be honest. Um and we just heard from a number of people uh in the UK.
[7:51]Um the the attitude the the public view within Britain towards America is very negative. Well over 60% approaching 68% of Brits do not have a strong view of
[8:02]the United States right now and that has increased significantly just in since January where it was, you know, 50-some odd percent.
[8:11]Um so it it's to go at a time where the American president has started a war where he didn't consult with the UK, where he's
[8:20]um you know, been very um tough on America's allies in general, on the UK in particular. I mean, it's a it's hard to overstate
[8:30]how fraught this particular moment is in the relationship, but again, you know, you could argue this is exactly why the King thinks he should go because he
[8:39]wants to take this relationship out of the current political moment, which is very negative, and to, you know, rise above. And and there are strong reasons to do that, namely
[8:51]um that the US is still so absolutely essential to Britain's security, to Europe's security, to keep the relationship on track. Um and and having
[9:02]decided to go, to then decide not to go would be a very very politically fraught decision to make. Mhm. Some really good points there. Now, an elephant in the
[9:12]room might be the Jeffrey Epstein case. The King's brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was a close associate of the late convicted sex offender. Earlier this year, Andrew was
[9:23]arrested in Britain on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his former role as a UK trade envoy. Now, these images of Andrew were released earlier this year by the US
[9:34]Justice Department as part of the Epstein files. The former prince has denied any wrongdoing or committing any crimes.
[9:44]Leslie, a lot going on here. US lawmakers want the King's brother to testify over the ongoing Epstein scandal. That hasn't happened yet. The Trump Trump administration still hasn't
[9:55]released all the related files and Epstein's victims want the King to meet with them, but Buckingham Palace has reportedly declined. Could you help us
[10:05]understand all this? Look, this is the the Epstein the the crimes that he committed against numerous young women are simply
[10:17]unforgivable unforgivable. There needs to be a reckoning a legal processes accountability. Compensation for the victims. This is
[10:28]going to play for a very very long time. I think that the King himself is not responsible. He has a very difficult political situation because it's his family.
[10:40]We you know in modern justice, we're not responsible for the crimes of our siblings, but obviously in the public eye the proximity makes it very difficult.
[10:50]The King has had to manage this in the UK. There's also the question of course of of Peter Mandelson. I mean, you know, this this runs so wide and so deep and
[11:01]is so dreadful. I think the King has to manage his relationship with his brother. He's he's been doing this. But I think it the relationship between
[11:11]our two countries, the United States and the United Kingdom and the King himself he needs to focus
[11:21]on this visit on that relationship. If he decided to really take seriously the question of accountability
[11:31]um, this is in no way shape or form to diminish the very real, uh, and very immediate significance of the Epstein files that have been released and of the victims,
[11:42]but there are inordinate, um, atrocities and crimes that have been committed against many different groups over this past 250 years, um, and they need to be dealt with, and
[11:53]especially the question of Epstein and the Epstein victims, but I think for this visit, um, the King is really focused on trying
[12:02]to keep the US-UK relationship, um, in a place where we can move forward and in where the bottom doesn't simply fall out. It is It is hard to overstate
[12:13]how fraught this moment is and how bold, and some would say, you know, bad, others would say, you know, wise, but one one way or the other, it's a very bold decision
[12:24]to take this trip at this point in time. Mhm. Let's, uh, take a look finally at what, the King is going to be doing on Tuesday. First, there'll be a ceremonial
[12:34]welcome for King Charles at the White House. Charles will then sign the guest book, and there'll be an exchange of gifts. The two men, so Trump and Charles, will then hold a bilateral
[12:44]meeting. Charles will speak at a joint session of Congress. That'll be followed by a state dinner at the White House hosted by President Trump. Leslie Vinjamuri, that speech to the
[12:56]Congress is going to be a big one, given how you've described it, this moment is a fraught moment. What's riding on this speech? Oh, I think this, uh, you know, if the
[13:06]King, um, I'm sure he's clearly well thought this through. >> [snorts] >> He will be very well received in Congress. Remember that even those members of Congress, even those Republican members of Congress
[13:18]who have followed the President's, um, uh, wishes when it comes to legislation and just generally being supportive, the vast majority of even Republicans
[13:29]are still actually many of them trans-Atlanticists, those who focus on foreign policy. They have great value for the United Kingdom, um for NATO. There's been a silencing,
[13:40]many are afraid and and simply haven't had the courage um for political or other reasons to to really assert their interest in those relationships, but I think um to have
[13:52]the King come to Congress, he will be tremendously well received by everybody uh in Congress. Um again, this is where the the the
[14:04]power of um the royal family is again very difficult to overstate. How that's read by the American public and by the British public is a very
[14:15]different question. And I think here it's actually quite tricky. I think uh in Britain people will not be pleased to see um the the their King uh taking this
[14:26]trip at a time when the American president has condemned their leader, their people, their country, its values, its commitments um on multiple dimensions, levied
[14:38]tariffs, um played fast and loose with America's security commitment to Europe and and to the UK in particular, um hasn't really stood up for Ukraine. On all of these values, I think this
[14:49]explains why uh the approval by the British um public of America is so low at the moment. And so I don't think that they'll appreciate seeing um their King
[15:01]speak to a Congress who they view and the American much of the American public, certainly the Democrats and independent voters, see as um having in a sense enabled a
[15:12]set of policies and a style of governance that are not uh dignified and and aren't meeting the moment in the way that they would expect. So I don't think this visit will go over
[15:23]as well with the publics as it as it will with the leadership and the elected officials. Yeah, that's a really good distinction to make. Could Charles, when he speaks to Congress,
[15:34]mention any of the ideas or the topics that you just ran through like Iran, like Ukraine, like strained ties, like security? Could we expect anything like
[15:45]that in what he has to say? I think some, but I think it will be done in a little bit of code. Um, you know, language that speaks to
[15:56]the troubled relationship and asks all of us to put it in historical context, to think about the significance of NATO standing
[16:07]together in the face of the Soviet threat, of the US and UK and others standing together during World War II, um, and throughout the past eight
[16:18]decades in particular, but even longer than that. Uh, and so I think he will, you know, he will refer subtly to the
[16:28]current moment, but really not not go down into the weeds. It's just simply not what the royal family does, it's not what the king does, it's not what the queen did. I think he'll want to deliver
[16:39]a positive message, um, a message that encourages everybody to behave better, um, but by behaving better himself,
[16:50]um, and I think it will be well received by Congress, but ultimately, you know, let's be honest, and this is the tough the tough hard
[17:00]news, I guess. Uh, ultimately, it will be disregarded once he's left because America is in a specific moment and has to pull through on its own.
[17:10]Yeah, that's a that's a really good point you're making. Um, final question. What needs to happen for this trip to be judged and deemed a success from both
[17:21]sides? Um, I think it needs to go smoothly. Uh, no security issues, good optics, good television.
[17:33]No bad words. People, you know, hopefully no protests. I don't think there will be. Um, and just a, you know, a sort of
[17:42]receptivity and openness by all parties uh, to speak to the historical significance of the relationship. If it makes people feel better, Congress feel
[17:52]better, if they just get through this visit, that I think it's a low bar, but at this point in time, what is normally a low bar is actually an incredibly high
[18:02]bar and a very important one. Thanks a lot for that, Leslie. We've been speaking with Leslie Vinjamuri, president and CEO of the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs. We really appreciate
[18:13]it. Thank you so much. So, what do you think? Are you following this visit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. If you like this video, please hit that like button, and if you
[18:24]haven't already, don't forget to subscribe. Thanks for watching.