Donald Trump has praised “brave” King Charles for pressing on with his state visit to America, despite the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the weekend.
Donald Trump has praised “brave” King Charles for pressing on with his state visit to America.
The British monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla’s four-day trip to the US was in doubt after an armed man allegedly stormed security at the White House Correspndents’ Dinner and fired a gun on Saturday (25.04.26), causing the US president, his wife Melania and vice president JD Vance to be evacuated from the Washington Hilton, but it has been confirmed the royal couple will travel as planned on Monday (27.04.26) and the Commander-in-Chief is looking forward to spending time with them.
Speaking on 60 Minutes, Trump said: “[The King] is a great guy, and we look forward to it. He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative, and he’s brave.
“We’re gonna have a great time, and he represents his nation like nobody else can.”
Sir Christian Turner, the British ambassador in Washington, is “very confident” in the security measures that have been put in place for Charles and Camilla’s visit, which marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
He told CBS News: “Our team has been in touch through the night and will be through the day to see whether the events of last night have any change in our operational planning.
“I’m very confident that Their Majesties will have the very best security throughout the visit.
“I mean, [it’s] a sombre background after last night for all of us. But I still hope we’ll be able to showcase this moment and make it the celebration that it deserves to be.”
During the visit, the king and queen will stay at Blair House, which is across the road from the White House, and will be under the protection of the US Secret Service, as well as travelling with a British security team.
It is believed that two planned engagements on the trip will be reshaped to reflect the heightened security environment, but the overall itinerary will not change.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the confirmation came after a full day of cross‑Atlantic discussions and government advice, adding that the royal couple were grateful for the swift work carried out to keep the visit on track.
They told several outlets: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned.
“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway.”
Donald Trump praises ‘brave’ King Charles
