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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
David Smith in Washington

Starmer plays royal card as he tiptoes around the madness of King Donald

Donald Trump Sir Keir Starmer United States Churchill Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelenksyy United Kingdom
Donald Trump shows off an invitation from King Charles for a state visit to the UK during a meeting with Keir Starmer in the Oval Office of the White House.
Donald Trump shows off an invitation from King Charles for a state visit to the UK during a meeting with Keir Starmer in the Oval Office. Photograph: Chris Kleponis/UPI/Rex/Shutterstock

How the tables have turned. Once upon a time visitors had to fawn over mad King George III and maintain the great pretence that everything was normal. Now it was the British prime minister’s turn to show deference to a capricious, erratic US president who might blow it all up.

First Keir Starmer, the 58th British prime minister (does Liz Truss really count?), and Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th US president, sat side by side before the fireplace in the Oval Office. Trump stretched credulity by claiming they “get along famously”. Starmer thanked Trump for “changing the conversation” on Ukraine.

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