Donald and Melania Trump touched down in the UK yesterday, heading straight for Windsor Castle after a smooth flight on Air Force One. But right there at the top of those stairs, as the door swung open, Don let slip a couple of words to Melania that had everyone buzzing—thanks to a sharp-eyed lip reader who caught the whole thing.
The couple’s here on an official invite from King Charles, who extended the hand earlier this year amid some rocky patches in US-UK relations. The royals have a knack for smoothing things over, don’t they? Just like they did back in the day with other tricky transatlantic ties.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer popped into the Oval Office in July to deliver the news personally, and the Royal Family’s social media lit up with the announcement: “His Majesty The King will host The President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, accompanied by the First Lady, Melania Trump, for a state visit to the UK.” They even tossed in a throwback photo from their 2019 trip.
Not everyone’s thrilled about it, though. Protests popped up outside Windsor Castle Tuesday night—folks projecting images of Trump and that disgraced Epstein guy onto the walls. Four arrests later, and yeah, the welcome mat’s feeling a bit threadbare.
Still, the landing itself went off without a hitch. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, and Viscount Hood (the king’s right-hand man for these gigs) were all there to greet them. The lip reader chatting with the Express said most of the chit-chat was your standard stuff: “How’s the drive to Windsor?” “Looking forward to it.” Pleasantries, you know?
But rewind to that moment at the top of the stairs. As soon as the door cracked open and that brisk British air hit them, Trump turned to Melania and goes, “Ooh, it’s cold. I’m glad we’re wearing our coats.” Fair enough—September in England can sneak up on you like that.
Then, eyeing the stairs (which were apparently slick from some drizzle), he added a quick heads-up: “Ooh, careful.” Nothing earth-shattering, but in a world where every gesture gets dissected, it’s got people talking. Was he just being the protective husband, or is there more to it? Who knows—politics loves a good overthink.
Today, things ramp up with a proper royal welcome: a salute booming from both Windsor Castle’s east lawn and the Tower of London. The Trumps will hop into a carriage procession around the estate with Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate—sounds like a postcard moment, right? No big London to-do on the schedule, though; it’s all Windsor-focused.
What about you? How do you feel about Trump steering the ship as US President? Drop your two cents in the Facebook comments below—I’d love to hear the mix of takes.