President Trump brought up both Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and Russian President Vladimir Putin within minutes of King Charles III and Queen Camilla arriving at the White House Monday to kick off their historic state visit.
“This shooting …” Trump appeared to tell the British king after exchanging greetings on the South Lawn, lip reader Nicola Hickling told the Daily Mail.
“I’d rather not stand about here too long,” Charles supposedly quipped in response
“I feel I shouldn’t be here.”
President Trump then asked if Charles was OK before saying: “It’s not a good thing,” according to Hickling.
“I wasn’t prepared, but now I am prepared,” the commander-in-chief continued before turning to the Russian tyrant.
“So right now, I am talking to Putin,” the president told the king. “He wants war.”
Charles, in Hickling’s account, tried to shut the matter down, saying: “We will discuss that later.”
Trump pressed the topic – warning: “I’ve got a feeling … if he did what he said, he will wipe out the population.”
“Another time,” Charles repeated before the conversation shifted to Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project.
“You can see right through there,” Trump said. “Right the way through to the ballroom. Would you like to see?’
“I’m sure you’ll show us,” Charles said, prompting Trump to respond: “That’s right, you’re right.”
The first couple then invited the royals into the White House after Charles asked: “Which way do we go?”
“We’re going this way,” Trump said, indicating the executive mansion.
The couples enjoyed a traditional English afternoon tea – complete with tiny sandwiches, mini-cakes and loose-leaf tea poured through a strainer.
After departing the White House, the king and queen attended a massive garden party at the British ambassador’s residence.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) were among the high-profile politicians in attendance.
British Olympic diver Tom Daley jetted in from Los Angeles for the bash and bonded with the king over knitting.
“Knitting is my outlet for all my creativity, my mindfulness and my meditation and the King has tried knitting many a time,” Daley told Britiain’s Press Association.
“He said he tried knitting when he was eight and he wasn’t very good but he said he might pick it back up – he knows it’s very good for mental health.
“But I want to try and get it back into the school curriculum and maybe he can help me do that.”
The royal couple is embarking on a four-day state visit to America, the highlights of which include the king’s address to a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday followed by a White House state dinner.
Charles and Camilla are also due to visit the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan Wednesday.
