Donald Trump has indicated King Charles and Queen Camilla’s State Visit to the US will go ahead as planned following last night’s shooting in Washington.
Speaking to Fox News, the US President addressed concerns over the visit following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.
King Charles and Queen Camilla had been set to arrive in the US on Monday for a three-day State Visit, where they would stay in the US capital with the President and First Lady Melania Trump.
However, last night’s shooting incident at a gala event attended by Mr Trump raised major worries about the safety of the visit.
“First of all, King Charles is coming,” Mr Trump said.
“He’s a great guy. We look forward to it,” he said, phoning in to the US broadcaster.
“He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative. And he’s brave. He’s a friend of mine for a long time.”
“So he’s coming and we’re going to have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do it,” Mr Trump added.
Donald Trump has said that King Charles’s State Visit will go ahead amid security fears
|
GETTY
The US President’s remarks come as Sir Keir Starmer holds crunch talks with Buckingham Palace over King Charles’s “security” ahead of the long-planned State Visit
Following last night’s events, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said: “These are remarkable scenes.
“The Prime Minister has, this morning, sent a message to the President of the United States in solidarity for the events that took place.
“As you would imagine, with the visit of His Majesty the King this week, our teams are working closely to ensure that security arrangements are put appropriately in place.”
‘He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative. And he’s brave. He’s a (been) friend of mine for a long time,’ Mr Trump said
|
GETTY
Asked if there are any extra concerns for the King’s safety during his upcoming state visit to the US, Mr Jones added: “As you would imagine, the Government and the Palace take the security of His Majesty very seriously, and there were already extensive discussions taking place, which will continue over the coming days.”
The Prime Minister has also revealed he was “shocked” by the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Sir Keir said: “Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”
Secret Service agents swiftly secured the venue and escorted Donald Trump from the scene on Saturday night in Washington | REUTERS
Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News earlier this morning: “This is obviously very concerning. Security will have been extremely tight anyway, especially given the War with Iran.
“Clearly, it will be further strengthened. To my knowledge, no walkabouts were planned. This devastating security scare turned the event into chaos.”
Secret Service agents intercepted the suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, during the attempt to storm the Washington dinner.
One Secret Service officer was shot at close range but was saved by his bulletproof vest.
GB News has contacted both Buckingham Palace and the White House for comment.