US President Donald Trump arrived in Britain late on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit at which the two nations will seal investment deals, a renewal of a “special relationship” Prime Minister Keir Starmer is keen to champion.
Air Force One touched down at Stansted Airport shortly after 9 p.m. local time. Trump will spend two days in Britain, including a Windsor Castle banquet hosted by King Charles III and policy talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers.
Trump is the first US president to be granted two state visits to Britain. The itinerary is heavy on pageantry, including carriages, honor guards and the grandeur of Windsor Castle — a setting Trump himself has described as “the ultimate.”
The White House says the visit will mark the strength of the transatlantic alliance and highlight shared history as the US nears its 250th anniversary. Starmer’s office echoed that line, describing the “special relationship” as built on law, open markets and common values.
Trump, speaking before departure, called the trip “incredible” and praised King Charles as “an elegant gentleman” who “represents the country so well.”
Starmer has worked to cultivate Trump personally, praising his Oval Office choices and even his golf courses. But the effort is politically fraught. Labour lawmakers remain uneasy about Trump’s popularity in Europe and wary of appearing too close.
The timing is also delicate. Starmer’s government has been rattled by scandal — the sacking of Ambassador Peter Mandelson over his Epstein ties, the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and the exit of senior aide Paul Ovenden. The turmoil has dented Starmer’s poll ratings just 14 months after his landslide election win.
Hosting Trump offers Starmer a chance to project statesmanship, but analysts warn it could cut both ways. “This visit is really important to Keir Starmer to show that he’s a statesman,” said Leslie Vinjamuri of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “But it’s such a double-edged sword, because he’s going to be a statesman alongside a US president that is not popular in Europe.”
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