Trump heads for state visit to an unsettled, unhappy Britain

LONDON — President Donald Trump enjoys spectacle, but this is not what Britain had in mind

LONDON — President Donald Trump enjoys spectacle, but this is not what Britain had in mind.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer fought to offer Trump a second state visit starting Wednesday — an unprecedented flourish meant to bolster Starmer’s authority and flatter the American leader at a crucial moment for the United Kingdom and its allies.

Instead, Trump will arrive in a fractious Britain to meet with political leaders beset by long-running discontent and royals navigating family feuds.

Should he open the country's notorious tabloids, the president could survey the fallout from flag-waving far-right marchers in the streets, feverish speculation about the prime minister's position and a family summit over tea that sought to ease those royal tensions.

President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer wave as they board Air Force One in Glasgow, Scotland on July 28, 2025.Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images fileThe backdrop could hardly be worse for the carefully planned choreography of pomp and ceremony.