WASHINGTON — If the ancestors of Donald Trump and King Charles could see them today, the U.S. president mused Tuesday, they "would surely be filled with awe and pride that the Anglo-American revolution in human freedom" survived to the present day.
Trump moments later stepped back from the lectern at the White House to shake hands with Charles during the U.S. administration's formal welcome of the UK royals, and the two shared a laugh.
The White House captioned a photo of the moment, "TWO KINGS."
It wasn't the first time Trump has flirted with monarchical imagery in his second presidential term.
In October 2025, he posted an AI-generated video depicting him wearing a crown and piloting a fighter jet zooming above "No Kings" protesters opposed to his administration. Republican leaders in Congress have routinely called the demonstrations "Hate America" rallies.
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Britain's King Charles III stands with U.S. President Donald Trump during an arrival ceremony Tuesday on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.
The same day, he shared another AI video that showed him adorning himself with a crown, royal cape and sword as congressional Democrats knelt before him.
Revolutionaries from 13 British North American colonies fought an eight-year war for independence, waged against Charles' fourth great-grandfather George III, beginning in 1775. The United States declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, citing the crown for "a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States."
"One interesting difference between America and the UK is the people are the sovereign. We don’t have one person that’s sovereign," Representative Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., told Reuters. "I don’t think the president, respectfully, understands that difference."
Spokespeople from the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Britain's King Charles, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump talk Tuesday during a state dinner for Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House in Washington.
In remarks to Congress earlier in the day, Charles commented on the two countries' shared heritage and governing principles, invoking the Magna Carta, the 1689 British Declaration of Rights and the 1791 U.S. Bill of Rights to declare "executive power is subject to checks and balances."
Trump rejected accusations of king-like behavior in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" after Secret Service agents narrowly foiled an assassination attempt on Saturday.
"I'm not a king," he quipped to interviewer Norah O'Donnell. "If I was a king, I wouldn't be dealing with you."
