President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump just exiting Air Force One beginning their first part of their second state visit to the UK. You can see them walking down the steps of Air Force One there being greeted by the US Chief of Protocol Ambassador Monica Crowley. A warm welcome there and also by the Vikenhood Lord in waiting on behalf of the king. Also there the right honorable Ivette Cooper the secretary of state foreign commonwealth and development affairs. Also part of the greeting party Mrs.
Jennifer Tallhurst, His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Essex. Mr. Ben Julian Harrington, the Chief Constable of Essex Police. The president just shaking hands there. And she's also being greeted by Mr. Gareth Cal, the managing director of London Stanstead Airport. So this the first formal part of President Trump's second state visit to the UK. You can see all smiles there, Melania Trump. And they will make their way along through the Guard of Honor. One wonders what what is said in those
moments, doesn't one? You know, the politeness is how do you do? Nice flight. How was the meal? I mean, you know, you wonder what they say in those moments. You never get really to hear what's said at those those particular points in time. And Gary, just uh one now, as you can see, as we watch the president and first lady, just give us an idea. It's it's incredibly important for both countries, Ben. I think it's incredibly important for both countries. No, and you can see him shake I've been shaking
the hand of Lord Hood at there going on to a marine one. Yeah. Incredibly important. The president sees this as an endorsement of him as as a real historical individual, not an aberration in US history as many wondered whether he was going to be after that first term, but as a real sign, an absolutely visible sign that he is part of history now, a real part of history, a real legacy type president. And also for the UK, of course, as James was mentioning earlier, you know, every prime minister since Churchill, every prime minister,
perhaps far Harold Wilson, maybe with the exception of Harold Wilson, has regarded Britain's national interest as being absolutely bound up with staying as close to the United States as possible. Karma is no different. Be that conservative, be that Labour prime minister down the state, perhaps with the exception of Harold Wilson. believe that Britain's national interest is completely bound up with being as close to the United States as possible. So that is the significance for Britain in
maintaining that relationship. Um with the changed political environment here or there in the United States rather with the changed political envir environment here in the UK and of course after Brexit as well. All these factors that have moved the chess pieces on the board in an extraordinary way in the last few years in terms of the relationships that we thought were fixed. And I could hear the rotors now starting to warm up a bit on um on Marine One. Yeah, it's about to take off, Gary. Clearly, isn't it for central London for
Winfield House, the American ambassador's residence, as we were saying? And and and we were talking earlier, James Landale was saying, you know, he he does adore all the pomp and pageantry, but this will be in the end a transactional visit. And what is your sense of what the two countries will get out of it, do you think? Well, the transactional visit is right. And for the United States and for Donald Trump, it's the it's the pictures, it's the imagery, but it's also the hard cash
in terms of investment into the United States tying Prince tying Britain into some of the deals that he wants that he wants Britain to do. and the man and the money he wants to invest. Okay. And um and in terms of Britain, of course, it's maintaining that that relationship that we've talked about, maintaining that close relationship and also trying to tear down some of the barriers that Britain has faced, particularly on some of the tariff issues. We know they've got a deal, but really what are the
details of that trade deal? It's not very clear whether all of it is done and dusted. far from Dun and Dustin and of course some real tension in the last week particularly over losing Peter Mandelson as the ambassador. He was liked in Washington. The administration liked him. Uh and you know the fact of him going because of Jeffrey Epstein only put the focus back onto that issue which has been a difficult one for Donald Trump and the administration to to sort of shrug off over the last few weeks. You see them starting to head off
now. 31 moving away now. You can tell not still on the ground but about to take off. I think and he does have a real affection for this country, doesn't he? I mean, he seems to love it here. He does. He does. I mean he was here privately in July as we know visiting his golf courses in Scotland Turnbury Turnbury and also up in Abodine as well. Um he was also you know he he has Scottish heritage as we know he he seems pretty proud of that. That's what we're going to see I think the Scots Guards at
Windsor tomorrow as well. And there's an affinity I think there is an there's an affinity in a way oddly which there wasn't with Joe Biden. Joe Biden was always rather sort of arms length when it came to Britain. There were there were warm words, but he you never felt Joe Biden really like he a colleague of mine once asked shouted to him, "Have you got a word for the BBC?" And Joe Biden replied, "I'm Irish." He said, "And you're Irish at the BBC now, Gary."
That's right. So there you go. But yeah, no, a real affection. I think a genuine affection, but it's hardnosed. Donald Trump is a man that um isn't subject to sentiment if it undermines his interest or America's interest. That's that's for sure. Absolutely. You remember I interviewed him a few weeks ago and I asked him, you know, you know, do you trust I asked him if you trusted Vladimir Putin? He said, and there was a long, long pause and he said, frankly, I trust almost no one. And I think that
tells you a lot about this president in terms of the way he sees the world and the way he sees relationships in this world. And he also seems to quite like K Star Dama, doesn't he? I mean, from all the conversations they've had, every time he talks about Karma, he really talks about him warmly. He says they have political differences, but they get along in his words. Yeah. He calls him a liberal, doesn't he? And uh but I like him anyway. And I think it is a sign of in some ways the sort of political genius of that moment
in the Oval Office as James was talking about earlier with the letter from King Charles handling it over uh the president absolutely loved that. I mean he I mean he absolutely couped over that. It was a it was an act of um as I say pretty political savvy on the part of whoever came up with that idea in Downing Street really ought to get a prize because that was pretty good. uh and it became a template for other world leaders, other European leaders. You know, this is how we go to the White House and don't get completely kebabed.
You know, that's frankly what it is. Um and I think Kama can take some credit for having sort of written the playbook. Uh and he's obviously hoping to continue that relationship during these next two days. It'll be down to the king and queen tomorrow. I think that'll be pretty smooth sailing. There's an obvious affection there for the monarchy. Um, you know, there's been lots of talk in the United States, not entirely frivolously at times about Donald Trump as a sort of king-like
figure, you know, so he's not necessarily shrugged that off at times. So, he will enjoy, I think, tomorrow and that ride in Windsor Great Park and all those uh flybys, etc. The state dinner.
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