Trump UK visit live: US president set to arrive in London before meeting King Charles

Police preparing for the US president’s state visit are “content” with their security plans despite expected protests and the recent assassination of Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk.

Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt, from Thames Valley Police (TVP), told journalists that preparations are under daily review, but had already been set up to deal with a very high threat level because of the nature of the visit.

The state visit is taking place within the private grounds of Windsor Castle and Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country home.

“We are constantly keeping under review our approach to these operations. We’re doing that on a daily basis, right through the planning phase,” Mr Bunt said.

“I’m very content that we have planned a very comprehensive policing and security operation that has taken into consideration just about every eventuality of what could happen.

“And we do understand that things happen elsewhere in the world, and the wider context that we’re operating in, that can impact our security operations.

“We’ve done all the reviews we need to. We keep them under ongoing review, and our security posture is as it needs to be for this operation.”

There have been several vocal opponents against Mr Trump’s state visit, often citing his divisive politics and stance on issues such as migration, climate change and Gaza.

A “Trump Not Welcome” demonstration has been planned by the Stop Trump Coalition in London on Wednesday 17 September. The group previously organised a protest against the US president’s visit in 2018, which drew around 250,000 attendees.

A spokesperson for the Stop Trump Coalition said: “We are protesting against this undeserved state visit to make sure the world knows this is not done in our name.

“The UK government is rolling out the red carpet so we want to show the massive opposition to Trump and creeping fascism – and pressure our own government in the UK to stand up to Trump and his disastrous policies and show solidarity with people who are already suffering from their effects, from the US to Palestine.”

The group also organised protests in Aberdeen and Edinburgh against Mr Trump’s recent visit to Scotland. Hundreds of demonstrators turned out in the two cities.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said he will boycott the ceremonial banquet for Mr Trump to “send a message” to the US president and Sir Keir over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

A state visit is a formal trip to the UK by the head of another country. Traditionally, the leader is invited by the monarch, who is acting on government advice.

It is a grand occasion, intended to mark positive relations between the two nations. Alongside the ceremony, there also tend to be political discussions between the leaders.

It is unusual for a US president serving a second term to be offered a state visit. They are usually instead invited for tea or lunch with the monarch, as happened with former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush.

Responding to the King and Sir Keir’s invitation in February, Mr Trump said it was a “great, great honour”.

Channel 4 is to air a night of programming focusing on Donald Trump untruths, including an impersonator taking over from its continuity announcer to give out false information.

On Wednesday, the first official day of the US president’s state visit to the UK, the channel will show Trump V The Truth, which will show the president making 100 falsehoods, distortions and inaccuracies, either written or said by Mr Trump during his time in office.

The show will feature untrue statements punctuated by brief text-based fact-checks, while the impersonator will work as the show’s continuity announcer throughout the day giving out misleading programme synopses and exaggerated running times.

Ian Katz, chief content officer at Channel 4, said: “Donald J Trump loves making history. So on Wednesday Channel 4 will do just that: we’ll show what we believe to be the longest uninterrupted reel of untruths, falsehoods and distortions ever broadcast on television.

“We hope it will remind viewers how disorientating and dangerous the world becomes when the most powerful man on earth shows little regard for the truth. And if President Trump cares to watch along after the state banquet, he may even clear up a few misconceptions.”

Channel 4 will also air the second episode of The Donald Trump Show, a three-part documentary from filmmakers 72 Films, which uses news footage from TV, podcasts and social media to tell the story of the last nine months of the 79-year-old’s presidency as an unfolding soap opera.

Officers deployed for Donald Trump’s state visit will have access to a wide range of equipment and weapons, including Tasers, baton guns which propel rubber bullets, Glock 17 sidearms, Lewis Machine & Tool rifles, and shotguns, which are used on dangerous animals.

Additionally, police officers will have access to overalls, gloves, respirators and ballistic helmets “for anything that is CBRN-related – chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear,” police sergeant and operational firearms commander Daniel Hatfield said.

“That is something which hopefully is very unlikely to happen, but if there was ever to be a firearms threat as well as CBRN, this is what we would deploy with our weapons system,” Sergeant Hatfield added.

The equipment will be kept in ARV vans, alongside a first-aid kit and ballistic protection shields, police said.

Police have said officers will be ready to respond to a potential high-threat incident in Windsor ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit.

The King is to host the US president and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, at Windsor Castle from Tuesday to Thursday, where they will be feted with a ceremonial welcome and state banquet.

A 24-hour-a-day policing operation will be in place in the Berkshire town during the event, with a temporary order restricting the airspace from Tuesday – when the state visit rehearsal is to take place – until Thursday.

Armed officers will be patrolling the streets with Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) ready to respond in case of increased threat, Thames Valley Police said last week during a media briefing at the force’s training centre in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

“We have considered anything from a low to a hight-threat incident, and it’s a very comprehensive security operation as a result,” police sergeant and operational firearms commander Daniel Hatfield said.

“Every single state visit or policing operation of this nature comes with its own merits, and every operation or plan is constructed individually.”

Sergeant Hatfield added: “It’s not the first time a president of the United States has visited Windsor and relationships with our American colleagues are well forged, well practised, so it makes planning a security operation like this a lot easier.”

Lasting for three days, Mr Trump and the first lady Melania will be landing in the UK on Tuesday 16 September. They will be greeted on behalf of the King by the ambassador of the United States of America and Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting.

The president is not expected to make any public engagements on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace has confirmed, instead remaining within the private Windsor Castle estate.

The following day, the couple will be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, before a formal welcome by King Charles and Queen Camilla. A royal salute will be fired from the east lawn of Windsor Castle and the Tower of London.

There will be a carriage procession through the Windsor estate with all four members of the royal family in attendance alongside the US president and first lady.

After visiting the State Dining Room and special US-themed display of the Royal Collection, the group will visit the late Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and lay a wreath.

There will later be a flypast by the Red Arrows and UK and US F-35 military jets over Windsor Castle’s east lawn, followed by a traditional grand state banquet with around 150 guests.

President Trump will meet Sir Keir at Chequers, alongside his wife, Lady Victoria. After viewing the Sir Winston Churchill archives, there will be a bilateral meeting between the two world leaders.

The pair will later attend a business reception at the site hosted by chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Sir Keir and Lady Victory will say goodbye to the Trumps at Chequers. The Lord Chamberlain, on behalf of the King, is to bid the final farewell to them to mark the end of the state visit.

Donald Trump’s first state visit to the UK saw thousands of people turn out on the streets in London in opposition, and protests are also expected to take place this week.

The Stop Trump Coalition are to stage a mass demonstration in central London on Wednesday, with a further protest planned near Windsor Castle on Tuesday.

Britain is set to welcome Donald Trump for a historic state visit this week.

The trip marks Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK – an unprecedented gesture towards a US president. He was previously feted with a state visit in 2019.