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  • 5 weeks ago
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00:00It has been said of Donald Trump that he listens to the person who was most recently in his ear.
00:06And so, although I have no doubt that King Charles will do a supreme job in this four-day visit,
00:13my concern is that once the immediate impact of Charles's presence and the words that he speaks,
00:20once that has worn off, that Trump being Trump will revert to type.
00:25And therefore, I do have concerns that this might not have the long-lasting impact in bridging the two countries
00:33together
00:33while Trump remains in the White House, or you could argue while Keir Starmer remains in 10 Downing Street.
00:40He's under all sorts of domestic pressures himself at the moment.
00:45But standing back from all of that, I think in the longer term, this will have a positive impact,
00:52reminding both Americans and Britons of what we share, democratic values, standing up to terrorism,
01:00standing up to threats, and protecting Western security.
01:05And Matt, a bit more on that long-term that you're mentioning.
01:08Where do you see this special relationship moving forward?
01:12Well, I think it does depend in part on the politics,
01:16because although there is this long-standing relationship between the two countries that has endured
01:20and endured beyond local difficulties between presidents and prime ministers,
01:26nonetheless, if America does decide to go in the way that Trump at the moment is pushing it,
01:31if there were a post-Trump to be a president of the United States,
01:35another Republican president who's sympathetic to Trump's approach,
01:39then there will be ongoing and significant issues, not least over the question of NATO.
01:44If Trump were to be replaced by a president after the next presidential elections,
01:49who decides to withdraw America from NATO,
01:54that has massive implications for Western security
01:57and the way that we do politics and war, indeed, around the world.
02:02As I say, astonishing work.
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