President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to discuss the United Kingdom’s digital services tax, NATO commitments, and the conflict in Iran with Britain’s King Charles III when the monarch visits Washington next week for a state visit.
“I’m going to talk about everything,” Trump told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of King Charles’ Monday arrival. “He is a friend of mine, and he is a great guy.”
The four-day visit includes a private meeting with Trump, an address to Congress, as well as stops in Virginia and New York. Buckingham Palace and the White House have framed it as a celebration of long-lasting ties beyond any political disagreements.
Trump has repeatedly condemned Starmer for withholding British forces from the Iran conflict and has criticized the United Kingdom’s military heft. He threatened “a big tariff” on Britain if it does not abandon its 2 percent digital services tax, which would affect technology behemoths such as Apple, Google, and Meta. The levy, which was first implemented in 2020, has faced opposition from both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Trump’s tariff warning came immediately ahead of the royal visit. Trump told the BBC that the king’s arrival could “absolutely” help improve relations. He has called Charles “fantastic” and “a brave man.”
Washington and London relations are strained at levels not seen since the 1956 Suez Crisis, when U.S. pressure forced Britain to abandon its invasion of Egypt. Trump has suggested reassessing U.S. support for British overseas territories, including the Falkland Islands.
White House officials say the agenda will remain private, though Trump has said he will raise NATO’s collective defense contributions. Many allies, including Britain, still fall short of the 2 percent of GDP target that Trump has endorsed.
British officials have defended the digital tax as a means of making profitable technology firms “pay their fair share,” while Trump has said it's discriminatory against American innovation.