President Trump’s British Triumph
President Donald J. Trump’s whirlwind visit to Great Britain was a great triumph – for America and the president.
It is amazing what President Trump achieved in the 58-hour round trip. It was a great study in the global mobility which President Trump has made his standard for effective face-to-face interaction.
The British visit was impressive at three levels. It was ceremonial. It was internationally symbolic. And it met practical economic, technological, and scientific goals.
Ceremonially, President Trump became the first American president to have a state visit with two different British monarchs. In his first term, he was received by the late Queen Elizabeth. Now he has been hosted by her son, King Charles III.
The visual spectacle of more than 1,500 soldiers in ceremonial dress and more than 150 horses is something Americans never tire of watching. Seeing President Trump riding with King Charles III in the Irish State Coach – a gilded historic symbol of royalty built in Dublin by John Hutton and Sons in 1851 – was an uplifting experience for most. Right behind the President and King came First Lady Melania Trump with Queen Camilla in the Scottish State Coach.
The pageantry culminated with a glittering state dinner at Windsor Castle, a 1,000-year-old structure (and great place to visit). It all brought reminders of why Downton Abbey had been such a popular TV series (and now a movie franchise).
As Americans prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is worth remembering that the first Windsor Castle was built by William the Conqueror around 1070 after his successful invasion and conquest of Britain.
Of course, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of King Charles standing with President Trump for our national anthem. After all, the Star-Spangled Banner is based on the successful American defense of Fort McHenry against British attack in the War of 1812.
The spirit of rebellion has been replaced by a “special relationship,” which was cultivated by Prime Minister Winston Churchill with President Franklin D Roosevelt during World War II. It reached its historic high point in the amazing alliance between President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in their quest to defeat the Soviet Union and win the Cold War.
The partisan difference about this special relationship is striking. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, British Prime Minister Tony Blair loaned a bust of Churchill to President George W Bush to display in the Oval Office. When President Barack Obama entered that office, he promptly sent the bust back to the British embassy. When President Trump replaced Obama, he placed Churchill back in a place of honor. President Joe Biden put the bust in storage. Now, President Trump has again brought Churchill back into the Oval Office.
When President Trump met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the official country retreat for British prime inisters, there was continuous reference to the special relationship.
Symbolically, this visit sent a worldwide signal that President Trump had strong allies – and that America and Britain were working together on a wide range of Issues. While there is tension about how hard to push Vladimir Putin on his invasion of Ukraine, and whether recognize a Palestinian state, the United States and Great Britain are on the same side of many other issues.
The imagery for leaders around the world is that President Trump may be aggressive and push hard for American interests, but he does so within a wide range of interests that demonstrate the centrality of the United States to the international system.
Finally, there was a lot of practical business done on this whirlwind trip. The Trump system combines diplomacy, ceremony, and business. A British trade alliance is helpful for the economy in general, but Britain still has two of the greatest universities in the world (Cambridge and Oxford). The quality of British scientific and technological work remains at the forefront of global capabilities.
An aggressive British-American partnership on artificial intelligence, modular nuclear power, defense technology, and space operations will lead to a much more dynamic, prosperous, and secure future for both our countries.
As is typical of President Trump’s second term, the 58-hour trip will pay multiple dividends and strengthen America in a wide number of ways.
It was indeed President Trump’s British triumph.
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