'If it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French': King Charles takes a jibe at Trump during state dinner
At the White House state dinner on Tuesday, King Charles III and President Donald Trump shared warm and often light-hearted toasts as the British King and Queen Camilla concluded day two of their royal visit to the U.S. In his historic speech, which was met with several standing ovations, the King joked that, without the British, Americans would be speaking French. It was a response to Trump's previous remarks aimed at European allies when he accused them of freeloading on defense since World War II.
"You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that, if it weren't for us, you'd be speaking French!" King Charles said, referring to a remark Trump made at the Davos Summit in January. At the World Economic Forum, while talking about how Denmark fell to German forces and the U.S. had to step in during the war, Trump remarked, "Without us, you'd (the European allies) all be speaking German and a little Japanese perhaps." The King also referred to the struggle between the British and the French in North America, where rival colonial powers battled for control of the continent before U.S. independence 250 years ago.
King Charles put the light British humor on full display as he also joked about the "readjustments" Trump was making to the East Wing of the White House, referring to the construction of the controversial $400 million ballroom. "I am sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814," referring to the historical incident where British soldiers torched the building in retaliation for an American attack.
Charles made a few political references as well, and when he noted that executive power was "subject to checks and balances" and this British tradition became the bedrock in the U.S. Constitution, he got another standing ovation. According to the BBC, the cheers started on the Democratic side and spread across the room. The opposition has long criticized Trump for what they see as abuse of power, and for the past couple of months, they have been pushing to pass measures that would limit the President's authority over military operations. The King also noted that "America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence," and the actions of the "great nation matter even more."
The current state of U.S.-U.K. relations is strained. The King's light-hearted remarks reflected a warm tone as he and the President seemingly bonded over the "special relationship" between London and Washington, despite the ongoing tensions over the Iran war. On the current issues, King Charles noted that the U.S. and the U.K. haven't always seen eye to eye, but when the two nations come together, they can do great things "not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples." Later, after a brief afternoon meeting at the White House, President Trump said Charles is "a fantastic person" and that his visit to the U.S. was a "real honor."
