logo
'Unfiltered rant': King Charles III 'very concerned' about US President Donald Trump stoking migration fears during his upcoming state visit

'Unfiltered rant': King Charles III 'very concerned' about US President Donald Trump stoking migration fears during his upcoming state visit

Sky News AU29-07-2025
King Charles III is said to be "very concerned" about US President Donald Trump's upcoming state visit, with palace insiders revealing the monarch fears the President could use the royal platform to push a political agenda.
Earlier this month, the 76-year-old monarch surprised many by inviting the 79-year-old president back to the UK for what's being touted as a historic second state visit, a gesture not yet extended to any other world leader.
But now, according to palace sources who spoke to The Daily Beast, the King may be questioning the decision.
King Charles III is said to be growing "very concerned" about US President Donald Trump's upcoming state visit, with palace insiders revealing the monarch fears the President could use the royal platform to push a political agenda. Picture: Aaron Chown -A civil servant also told the publication on Monday that His Majesty fears Trump "could upend protocol and make politicised comments when delivering a traditional speech at his state banquet."
The outlet added Charles "will be very concerned about the possibility of a repeat of Trump's outburst [when he visits in] in September."
Concerns have reportedly been growing since Trump's recent comments about Canada, a Commonwealth realm where Charles is the head of state, referring to it as "the 51st state".
But they've intensified after a string of inflammatory comments made by the president during his current five-day visit to Scotland.
"On immigration, you'd better get your act together. You're not going to have Europe anymore," Trump told reporters on Friday.
"You've got to stop this horrible invasion that's happening to Europe. Some people, some leaders, have not let it happen. They're not getting the proper credit.
"I could name them to you right now, but I'm not going to embarrass the other ones. But stop, this immigration is killing Europe."
The remarks were made just days before Trump met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with whom he offered "advice" on the ongoing small boat crisis.
While he admitted he knows "nothing" about small boats, Trump told Starmer that most people on them are probably "bad people".
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to the media as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump Turnberry golf club in Turnberry, Scotland, Monday, July 28, 2025. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Pool Photo via AP
The friend of the king told the publication that Charles "will be appalled by what Trump said on Friday, which seems to be entirely driven by his domestic agenda".
It's unlikely Trump will meet with King Charles during the informal trip, despite His Majesty also being in the country ahead of his annual summer vacation at Balmoral.
According to The Telegraph, Buckingham Palace and the White House agreed it would be "preferable to delay meeting in person until Mr Trump's official state visit in September, when the King will host him in Windsor Castle."
The delay was officially attributed to "diary challenges".
When asked by the BBC what he hoped to do on his return to the UK, Trump simply said, "Have a good time and respect King Charles."
The official state visit will take place from 17 to 19 September.
It's understood the King, who is still receiving weekly cancer treatment, will split hosting duties with Queen Camilla.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

European countries announce $1 bn purchase of US weapons for Ukraine
European countries announce $1 bn purchase of US weapons for Ukraine

News.com.au

time32 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

European countries announce $1 bn purchase of US weapons for Ukraine

The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark will buy $1 billion of US weapons under a new NATO scheme to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, the countries announced Tuesday. The purchases from US stockpiles are the first under the so-called Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism launched by US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last month. More are expected. The Dutch government said it would buy 500 million euros ($577 million) of weapons, and the three Scandinavian countries will jointly donate $500 million. All the governments highlighted the need to help Ukraine, which has faced mounting military pressure from Russia in recent months. "By supporting Ukraine with determination, we are increasing the pressure on Russia to negotiate," Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans posted on X. Brekelmans called near-daily Russian air strikes "pure terror" and warned that Moscow's advance into Ukrainian territory could pose a broader threat to Europe. "The more Russia dominates Ukraine, the greater the danger to the Netherlands and our NATO allies," he said. "Ukraine is not only fighting for its own security, but also for our security," Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson told a press conference to announce the Scandinavian initiative. Sweden will give $275 million towards the total. The Dutch package includes US Patriot missile parts and other systems for Ukraine's badly stretched front-line requirements, according to the defence ministry. The Swedish government said in a statement that the "support will include air defence systems, including munitions to Patriot, anti-tank systems, ammunition and spare parts". Washington is releasing weapons and military hardware for Ukraine from its stockpiles in $500 million tranches under the PURL mechanism. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the donations as "a very strong initiative that significantly boosts our ability to protect lives". "These steps are a new, real foundation for long-term security across all of Europe. Russia will never turn Europe into a continent of war," Zelensky said on X. Zelensky spoke with Trump on Tuesday, three days ahead of a deadline the US leader has set for Russia to make an initiative to halt the war. He said in a social media post that the two had discussed sanctions against Russia and "bilateral defence cooperation" but did not give details. The NATO secretary general praised the Netherlands for being the first country to announce funding to the new scheme and also welcomed the Scandinavian move. "Since the earliest days of Russia's full-scale invasion, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine. I commend these allies for their quick efforts to get this initiative off the ground," Rutte said in a statement. jll/mmp/jc/tw/js

Trump signals tariffs on pharma, chips as trade war widens
Trump signals tariffs on pharma, chips as trade war widens

News.com.au

time32 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

Trump signals tariffs on pharma, chips as trade war widens

US President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday that fresh tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors could be unveiled as soon as the coming week, as he presses on in efforts to reshape global trade. Trump's latest comments, in an interview on CNBC, come days before a separate set of tariff hikes takes effect on dozens of economies later this week. The sweeping tariff plans have sparked a flurry of activity as governments seek to avert the worst of his threats -- with Switzerland's leaders heading to Washington on Tuesday in a last-minute push to avoid punitive duties. But he appears set to widen his trade wars further. The US president told CNBC that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250 percent, while adding that he plans for new duties on foreign semiconductors soon. "We'll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it's going to go to 150 percent," Trump said. "And then it's going to go to 250 percent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country." Trump also said that Washington will be announcing tariffs "within the next week or so." He added: "We're going to be announcing on semiconductors and chips." - Concern for US economy - Trump has taken aim at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10-percent levy on almost all trading partners in April -- with excluded products targeted by sector. While Swiss leaders are seeking to stave off a US tariff hike to 39 percent come Thursday -- which excludes sectors like pharma -- Trump's plans for a steep pharma levy will likely be a point of contention in any talks. Pharmaceuticals represented 60 percent of Swiss goods exports to the United States last year. Besides probing pharmaceuticals and chips imports, Trump has already imposed steep duties of 50 percent on imports of steel and aluminum, alongside lower levels on autos and parts. In the same CNBC interview, Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports "very substantially over the next 24 hours" due to the country's purchases of Russian oil. This is a key revenue source for Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine. His pressure on India comes after signaling fresh sanctions on Moscow if it did not make progress by Friday towards a peace deal with Kyiv, more than three years since Russia's invasion. Moscow is anticipating talks this week with the US leader's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the Kremlin has criticized Trump's threat of raising tariffs on Indian goods. Weak employment data last week pointed to challenges for the US economy as companies take a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump's radical -- and rapidly changing -- tariffs policy. The tariffs are a demonstration of raw economic power that Trump sees as putting US exporters in a stronger position while encouraging domestic manufacturing by keeping out foreign imports. But the approach has raised fears of inflation and other economic fallout in the world's biggest economy.

Fury after JobSeeker payments illegally cut
Fury after JobSeeker payments illegally cut

Perth Now

time2 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Fury after JobSeeker payments illegally cut

The administers of JobSeeker have been savaged in a report by the Commonwealth watchdog, which found actions taken by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Services Australia likely had a 'catastrophic impact' on vulnerable Aussies. Between April 2022 and July 2024, 964 JobSeeker recipients had their payments automatically cancelled under a specific clause in the Target Compliance Framework (TCF) after it was amended in 2022. The framework is an automated system to get JobSeeker recipient to undertake compulsory tasks such as attending job appointments and actively search for work, with those who repeatedly fail to meet the mutual obligations subjected to financial penalties. Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson was scathing of DEWR secretary Natalie James and Services Australia, saying they 'failed to take adequate steps to ensure the TCF was implemented in accordance with the 2022 amendment,' resulting in an 'unlawful decision' to cancel income support payments. The move was done 'without consideration of the job seeker's circumstances' and the 'failure to exercise … discretion … (posed) potentially significant, if not catastrophic, consequences for vulnerable job seekers', he wrote. It also noted a further 45 job recipients had their payments automatically cancelled despite Ms James' decision to pause cancellations on September 2024 – the fifth IT error catalogued by the department. The Commonwealth Ombudsman was scathing of the federal entities responsible for administering JobSeeker payments. NewsWire/ Emma Brasier Credit: News Corp Australia 'We also found that the agencies failed to take all of the steps required under those amendments to safeguard job seekers,' the report set to be released on Wednesday found. Critically the report also states a Digital Protection Framework, despite having the legal requirement to do so. Mr Anderson also noted the automation failures happened after the Robodebt Royal Commission which highlighted the 'serious impact' automated processes can have on 'highly vulnerable people'. Ms James also took nearly 10 months between April 2022 to September 2023 to pause the automated cancellations after it was raised by external legal advisers, with Mr Anderson questioning the 'apparent lack of urgency' over the 'significant issue'. As of March 21 this year, reductions and cancellations in income support payments have been paused pending ongoing legal and IT reviews. 'We do not consider a delay of over three years, coupled with an indefinite commitment to future action, is reasonable,' the report said. 'It does not satisfy the legislative requirement in the SPROM Act that the Secretary establish the DPF. 'In our view, if parliament imposes an obligation on an agency head without specifying a time frame (as was the case here), the agency head should aim for implementation as soon as reasonably practicable.' While the department has accepted all seven recommendations issued by Mr Anderson, the ombudsman issued an urgent warning to all government agencies, calling on them to ensure all 'automated decision-making is aligned with law and policy and is subject to ongoing testing and assurance'. 'Implementation of the recommendations is an important step towards restoring the confidence of the public, parliament and above all the people affected, that automated decisions are being made responsibly and according to law,' he said. The report said the department failed to exercise discretion, which led to potentially 'catastrophic' consequences for vulnerable Aussies. NewsWire/ Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire Antipoverty Centres spokesperson Kristin O'Connell urged more action, including the permanent removal of the TCF. 'It is not enough for the government to implement the Ombudsman's recommendations and move on,' she said. 'The release of this damning report is a significant moment for every person who has been subjected to compulsory activities while on a Centrelink payment and for those who have spoken up about the abuse they experienced. 'For the first time, welfare recipients may feel their experiences are being taken seriously and their lives being treated as valuable by someone in a position of power.' Greens' social services spokeswoman Penny Allman-Payne said the report should be a 'wake up call for change'. 'Despite clear warnings that the TCF is cruel and unlawful, Labor has continued to allow suspensions of payments to be used as a weapon against welfare recipients, to the benefit of so-called employment service providers who profit from poverty,' she said. 'It is clear that the TCF is an expensive hangover from a conservative government which has been heartlessly prolonged by this Labor government for far too long.' During Senate estimates in February, Ms James apologised and took full responsibility for the IT outages which resulted in the cancellations. 'I absolutely and unreservedly apologise on behalf of the department that we cannot have full confidence in this system delivering what it's intended to deliver,' she said. 'It's not acceptable, and it is my responsibility and not the minister's (Murray Watt), in this respect, although he may wish to add his own commentary but I will say that I am responsible, legislatively and administratively, for overseeing this process.' At the time her comments resulted in welfare advocates calling for a half to the TCF framework, with Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie lashing the system as 'overly punitive and in need of a complete overhaul'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store