Donald Trump’s visit the United Kingdom from 17 to 19 September is set to draw draw both praise and protest when the US president returns to these shores.
King Charles has invited Trump and his wife Melania for an unprecedented second state visit, after he was previously welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term in office in 2019.
The three-day trip will be hosted at Windsor Castle and while the full schedule is yet to be released, it is expected to include a formal ceremonial welcome and a state banquet in St George’s Hall.
For some, such as Republicans Overseas UK chairman Greg Swenson, the announcement of Trump’s visit is a cause for celebration.
Swenson said: “I was thrilled when I learnt he was invited.
“There’s a perception in the UK that nobody likes him and he’s horrible.
“I remember in 2019, there were a lot of protests, but I just don’t think that’s reflective.”
Swenson recalled Trump’s visit to Scotland in July, where grassroots supporters turned out to cheer the 79-year-old on the route from the airport to Turnberry.
He said: “It was all unorganised, just very grassroots.
“People just wanted to greet him.”
Swenson described Trump as having a special relationship with the UK, which is rooted in both personal and political ties.
He said: “He likes the UK, he is very much an Anglophile.
“His mother was from Scotland, so he has always had that family tie.
“She was very much a Royalist and used to stand up watching the queen on TV in her living room or sitting room, but it is more than just Scotland.
“He always wanted to give the UK a special place, we could see it even in the trade deal he made with Keir Starmer.
“The UK got a better trade deal than the EU despite political differences.”
Swenson described the UK-US dynamic under Trump and prime minister Starmer as practical rather than personal.
He said: “Would they be friends if they weren’t the leaders of their respective countries? Probably not.
“I don’t see them collaborating on some political campaign or some policy when they probably disagree on most things, but I do think they both respect their positions and the relationship of the country.
“Trump is not afraid to criticise and Starmer is not afraid to disagree with the president, but they definitely understand there’s a mutually beneficial relationship there if they can play nice.”
Swenson expects the state visit to be symbolic more than political.
He said: “It probably won’t change minds about Trump, but the Brits do pomp and circumstance better than anyone.
“If you are going to have a state visit, you want it to be in the UK.”
Swenson believes King Charles and Donald Trump will get along.
He said: “I think if it was Prince Charles, it would be difficult because Prince Charles was more progressive, globalist, and a climate fanatic.
“The president is very much not.
“Trump got along very well with the Queen, she was a little more traditional and old fashioned.
“She didn’t talk about politics or energy policy, and I am sure she was pro-energy and pro-Britain.”
Swenson also believes Trump’s friendly stance toward Prince William, and his criticism of Harry and Meghan, will make for smoother interactions with the royal family.
However, not everyone is welcoming the president’s return.
Protests are already planned, including a major demonstration in London on 17 September, organised by The Stop Trump Coalition.
The group previously organised mass protests during Trump’s 2019 visit, and includes organisations such as Global Justice Now, which is campaigning to change the rules of the global economy.
Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden expressed outrage over the King’s invitation.
He said: “I felt disgusted and shocked.
“It wasn’t simply the invitation itself. It was the way the Prime Minister behaved when he handed over that invitation, doing his best impression of a human carpet.
“I felt humiliating for him and for the country he represents.
“Why are we giving this unprecedented honour to a man who’s undermined democracy and treated our country, and every other, with disdain?”
While Trump remains deeply unpopular among some in the UK, Dearden believes the public response has shifted since 2019 for a number of reasons.
He said: “A good portion of the American public voted for him a second time, even after everything happened.
“There is a feeling of ‘how do we confront this?’, because just simply coming out on the streets as we did last time, clearly wasn’t enough – something in the shock factor is gone this time.
Dearden added: “He represents something bad for climate change, bad for increasing corporate power and the dominance that holds in all of our lives and a kind of politics of hate.”
The Stop Trump Coalition aims to send three key messages with their demonstration.
Dearden said: “First, we want to send a clear message to our government: This invitation was not made in our name.
“Second, we want to show solidarity with people and movements in the US resisting Trumpism – last time, images of our protests were beamed around the world and had a positive impact.
“And third, we want to stop the spread of Trumpism which we are seeing across Europe and the world.
“Our history in Europe should teach us the lessons of what happens when these people come to power, if they’re allowed to stay in power – and we need to fight them with every breath in our body.”
One of the most memorable symbols from the 2019 protests, the six-metre-high ‘Trump Baby’ blimp, may make a return.
Dearden said: “I’m hopeful, I think people are going to see something.
“It may be a slight variation on what they saw last time, but we’ve heard the message that people enjoyed it.
“Part of the reason is we always wanted to create a kind of festival atmosphere where people felt it was safe to bring their children and whole families to come along, and not just to resist but also to celebrate our diversity, our movement and the day itself.”
He expects turnout to be significant, though perhaps more subdued than the previous visit.
Dearden said: “But I don’t think it would represent the idea people are just saying, ‘well, okay, this is all right now’, but far more they are being driven into a kind of desperation where they think, ‘what can I do about all of this?’.
“And our job as campaigners is partly to ensure that they don’t feel like that, that they do feel it is worth continuing to protest and challenge the kind of politics that Trump represents.”
Whether greeted with cheers or protests, Trump’s visit is certain to make headlines, both in the US and in the UK.
Feature image: Depositphotos.com/InkDropCreative
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