Given that Trump has just insulted our war heroes and is trying to buy Greenland when it’s not for sale, do you think that the Government should instruct King Charles to cancel his visit to the USA?

[Remainsamystery344]

As a Republican from a UK forces family,
I normally shy away from phrases like “war heroes” but I feel really upset today for the families of young men and women who lost their lives in Afghanistan, after Trump suggested to Fox News that NATO troops “stayed a little off the front lines”.

What Trump said is not only profoundly insulting but factually incorrect. The UK in fact suffered the second-highest number of military deaths in the Afghanistan conflict after the United States.

This Guardian article lays out the statistics:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/trump-nato-afghanistan-troops

Of course this is all part of Trumps’s plan to disparage and undermine NATO, but if we are going to have a monarchy, and if KC3 is obliged by the government to attend, can he, as Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces, and having served in the Royal Navy and the RAF himself, at least make a stand in an official speech? Few others seem to have sufficient rank or power to do so?

King Charles could start by mentioning Para Joshua Leakey who survived the conflict having risked his own life to save a US Marine and was subsequently awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2015/03/03/british-soldier-awarded-victoria-cross-for-saving-marine/

We can agree to disagree on this.

Geopolitical reality is what it is. I do not think any of the individuals mentioned aside from Elon (due to space being the next theater of war) are relevant to the long-term alliance.

There was no running out the clock on Hitler. UK/Europe can run out the clock on Trump, while simultaneously rearranging their budget priorities if the US chooses to elect another isolationist administration in 2029.

For example, France is yet to pass a budget as the social cuts have made French citizens furious...and that is discounting the additional defense spending France needs to make in this uncertain geopolitical environment. Neither the French politicians nor the French voters are truly embracing what it means to fully fund defense, otherwise they would make the difficult but necessary choices.

Nope. Narcissistic people tend to be given many many opportunities to turn themselves around and when they don’t do it they get what they deserve.

We were just talking about this and decided that they should still go but strongly pitch it that they are visiting the USA, and it's citizens, as a whole and not Trump personally.

Agree! Very much respect My2cents1975’s alternative perspective but it’s quite a gamble given the lessons of history, and given that it could be argued that Trump is already acting very foolishly indeed in relation to Greenland.

Aggressively is another adjective.

Trump has already undermined the judiciary and academia in the USA making it more difficult to speak openly. How many more reminders do we need of the 1930s?

At what point does someone say enough is enough?

Also, I understand My2cents1975’s important* *point about protecting future peace and stability but I believe Vance to be even more of a threat than Trump if possible.

Would we send him to any other no-go zone? Then we should cancel. What if he’s there then used as leverage? Or he’s there when war actually breaks out?

I really don't think we should be sending Charles or anyone.

Trump is repeatedly crossing lines and is deranged.

I don't disagree completely, but unfortunately I don't share the optimism about this particular cast of characters not being relevant long-term. They're largely controlled/funded by the Peter Thiel/Palantir pipeline and I don't think they can be ignored.

If I thought kowtowing to Trump would be effective in the longer term, I might be more open to it, but the fact is that in no case where people have bowed to him, has it got them what they want.

You can crawl to him and give him all the second-hand prizes he wants, and in the meantime, the same corrupt regime stays in power and you're still in exile, just minus your medal.

If it's inevitable for the sake of diplomacy or whatever, let it be a private one hour meeting, no joint press conferences or appearances apart from the obligatory silent pic in the White House. I could live with that.

But it won't happen that way will it? Trump the egomaniac will want all the bells and whistles.

It is going to be awful, I think it will happen. I doubt Starmer has the gonads to cancel it, due to "circumstances and appeasement". And fear, which is what all the arse lickers are guilty of.

As a former military mother im on quite a few facebook groups, a good few members of the groups have lost their children in combat. They are NOT happy 😕
My son was seriously injured in combat and his life was saved by American surgeons in Camp Bastion (so no shade on the actual American forces)
All I can say right is, Donald what in the name of fuckety fuck were you thinking 🤔 😡

I dontv think he should get out of it for health reasons. I think he should say exactly why he isn't going. He lives the Monarchy ( he would love to be one) It would really be the only thing that would upset him, I think. Charles' son went to Afghanistan!

That wont happen. And US citizens are the ones who voted for Trump and the ones who can vote him out.

I feel like the more people kow tow to Trump, the worse he gets. I work in a school and this is classic rewarding bad behaviour ending up in even worse behaviour. However I know we just can’t antagonise the leader of one our closest partners (alternative word to ally!). I am livid about the insult though and I know it’s an opinion probably shared by a lot of Americans.

It also makes the UK look like a supplicant. Trump and his cronies only respect authority/force/confidence.

I agree completely, @Remainsamystery344 - I do not think the King should be legitimising the Great Orange Dictator’s actions by going on a state visit.

I can see the point being made by @Radiatorvalves.

Trump is beyond doubt a complete dick. But oddly cancelling a state visit by KC to make a point is actually more likely to increase support for Trump in the US.

Sometimes the best course of action for complete dicks is to allow them space to become even bigger dicks and thus further reduce any doubts on their dickiness.

I see the optics as KC going along being all polite, diplomatic and respectful alongside King Dick himself making inappropriate, undiplomatic and disrespectful comments making himself look like an even bigger dick.

I can see the value in that.

UK should receive an apology before the king visits.

Sorry, misread it!

Either way, the government should decide and KC3 do what they tell him.

It should be cancelled.
It’s time European governments took a stand against Trump and his madmen.

I think the visit should be postponed, until the next US President is in office.

Perhaps KC3 would remind him that the Royal Family have served and had casualties in WW1 and WW2. Prince Harry served in Afghanistan twice and wanted to go back with his original unit but Advisors objected.
JD Vance was in Marines but in a non combat role.

And on the whole i would say keep going as normal.

Trump likes the reaction. Don't play that game. Correct the lies, and remember that there is bigger picture than the reality TV jerk who has a tantrum because he doesn't get the Nobel Peace Prize...

I think the King's visit to the US should be cancelled, but anticipate that it probably won't be.

I never thought that Trump should have been invited here for a second state visit and wished the government would withdraw the invitation but, predictably, they didn't.

We need to stop believing in any kind of "special relationship" with such a dangerous and unstable pillock in the White House.

There has never been a worse US President in my opinion. He's nobody's friend but his own.

It will be interesting to see how the mid-term elections in the US pan out later in the year.

In the meantime, I wish the planned visit by KCIII could be cancelled.

Sums it up! The man is getting more and more deranged (and probably ill) and we should be keeping our distance

Time to kill the myth of the special relationship.
It's always been utter nonsense.
America says jump UK how high!

Not a fan of Prince Harry , but this just appeared on the BBC news site.
Well said!