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The Guardian view on Trump’s state visit to Britain: plenty of glitter, but this was gilt, not gold | Editorial

The hyperbole is in sharp contrast to the actual achievements, but in this new era minimising damage and buying time look like winsAn unprecedented second state visit for a US president. An “extra-large” guard of honour. The UK rolled out not only the red carpet, royal welcome and golden carriage but also the superlatives for Donald Trump’s visit. Sir Keir Starmer’s hyperbole on the memorandum of understanding on tech made his guest look almost understated: the prime minister boasted that the transatlantic partnership paved the way for new technologies to “amplify human potential, solve problems, cure diseases, make us richer and freer”.Yet there was an inverse relationship between the pomp and ceremony of this trip and its real import, between the grand declarations of amity and the actual state of transatlantic ties. The US president soaked up the sycophancy and was obliging enough to hymn the “priceless” relationship. But while Mr Trump grumbled that Vladimir Putin had “really let me down”, he showed no inclination for tougher action against Russia despite Sir Keir’s preposterous remark that the US president had “led the way” on Ukraine and King Charles’s pointed reference – one that his mother might not, perhaps, have made – to Europe and its allies needing to stand together against tyranny.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

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