Stubborn Trump waves off King’s royal charm offensive on NATO as he blasts Europe with punishing tariffs

President Donald Trump ignored King Charles’ charm offensive on Friday, suggesting the royal visit did not influence him enough to change his mind about NATO.

Trump was asked on the South Lawn of the White House as he departed for Florida if the King was persuasive on NATO.

“No, no,” Trump replied.

The response came on the heels of the President announcing punitive tariffs on automobiles to the European Union; These tariffs will affect 23 NATO members.

‘The King and I had a wonderful time; he is a wonderful person. He is a very quality person. I love the work he’s doing in Congress. “He actually got the Democrats to stand up,” the president said later.

In a joint address to Congress on Tuesday, the King politely pushed back on Trump’s complaints about NATO.

Trump called the historic military alliance a “paper tiger” and its members “cowards” for not volunteering to patrol the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war.

The White House did not notify its allies before Israel and Iran began a bombing campaign in late February.

President Donald Trump (center right) gestures to King Charles and Queen Camilla (left) with First Lady Melania Trump (right) during their official departure ceremony at the White House on Thursday morning

The president also claimed that NATO allies would not be there to support the United States if called upon.

The only time NATO’s Article 5 was used was after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.

King Charles touched on this in his speech.

“Together we answered the call, as our people have done shoulder to shoulder for more than a century, during two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and the defining moments of our common security,” the King said.

The British monarch also asked the US Congress to continue funding Ukraine, saying ‘the same dogged determination is needed for the defense of Ukraine and its bravest people’.

On the South Lawn on Friday, Trump continued to heap criticism on the previous administration for giving military equipment to Ukraine following the country’s February 2022 invasion by Russia.

“What happened is Biden came in like a fool and gave Ukraine most of what we had,” Trump said.

He was asked whether the US had enough ‘firepower’ to sustain Operation Epic Fury, the military operation in Iran.

After his speech to Congress, King Charles (left) introduced the NATO alliance at the state dinner with President Donald Trump (right) and asked Congress to provide funding for Ukraine.

‘And they spent $350 billion. We don’t do this. Everyone has to pay. The European Union pays us money, but Biden does not receive money. ‘He’s got nothing, he’s got nothing, but he gave away most of the stockpile,’ Trump complained.

The president bid farewell to King Charles and Queen Camilla on Thursday morning after two days of events in Washington before the royal family spent Wednesday in New York.

At the state dinner held on Tuesday night following the King’s speech to Congress, Charles turned up the charm by making jokes about the countries’ shared history.

The King described the East Room dinner, which resembled an English garden, as ‘a very significant improvement over the Boston Tea Party’.

King Charles also noted the ‘readjustments’ the President had made to the East Wing, which was no longer standing.

“Of course, I’m sorry to say that we British made our own little attempt to redevelop the White House real estate in 1814,” the King joked.

He also gifted Trump a golden bell from the ship HMS Trump.

On the South Lawn, Trump praised both King Charles and Queen Camilla.

‘She is a wonderful person, a wonderful lady, a wonderful Queen and we had a good time,’ the President said.