Rolling out the royal red carpet for Trump

In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, Celia Hatton and colleagues Rob Watson, John Sudworth, Frank Gardner, and Charlotte Gallagher discuss the upcoming state visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK. The podcast explores the motivations behind the visit, initiated by Sir Keir Starmer, focusing on maintaining strong US-UK relations post-Brexit and pursuing national interests in trade and security. The discussion covers the potential benefits for both countries, the expected royal pageantry, and security concerns, including potential protests and assassination attempts. The looming presence of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and its impact on both leaders and the royal family is also addressed. Finally, the podcast examines the broader implications of the visit for the NATO alliance and international relations, considering Trump's ambivalent stance towards NATO and its impact on global confidence in the transatlantic alliance.