A Recap of President Trump’s Visit to the UK
On September 16th, 2025, President Trump arrived in the United Kingdom with First Lady Melania Trump for a three-day-long state visit. This was Trump’s second state visit to the UK, his first being in 2019 during his first term as president. Upon the Trumps’ arrival, they were received by Viscount Hood on behalf of King Charles III.
On September 17th, the Trumps were flown to Windsor Castle. Once the Trumps arrived at the castle, they were greeted by the king and queen with a handshake and some welcoming ceremonies. The Trumps got tours of a variety of historical exhibits, and President Trump got the opportunity to pay his respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II by placing a wreath on her tomb. A state-visit banquet was held to wrap up the day. During the banquet, Trump and King Charles III openly discussed the “special relationship” the United States and the United Kingdom have.
On September 18th, President Trump met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two leaders had a news conference where they discussed a variety of topics, including trade, defense, the war in Ukraine, and the conflict in Gaza. This state visit was one that was very important for Prime Minister Stamer, as he used it to cement a positive relationship between him and President Trump. This meeting also resulted in the “Tech Prosperity Deal,” a new tech deal signed by the two leaders. This deal is an agreement that the US and UK will cooperate in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear power. During this press conference, Melania Trump spent time with Princess Catherine of Wales. Together, they spent time with some Squirrel Scouts, who are the youngest scouts in the Scout Association in the UK. The Trumps departed later that day.
Overall, the leaders of the United Kingdom used this visit to ensure that relations between the UK and US remain warm. However, some citizens of the UK were unhappy with Trump’s arrival. Many “Trump Is Not Welcome” protests were held, with many citizens calling out his beliefs and actions as immoral. There was also a lot of talk surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and Trump’s relationship throughout the weekend. One group installed a 400-meter image of Trump and Epstein together on the lawns of Windsor Castle for his arrival. Throughout the weekend, Trump frequently dodged questions surrounding Epstein and his peers, holding strong on his stance that they were not close.
