London — In his state banquet address, U.S. President Donald Trump described the transatlantic bond as “unbreakable.” Yet behind the glittering ceremonies, British officials spent much of the week anxiously ensuring nothing would derail the carefully choreographed visit—or threaten Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s fragile premiership.
The timing was fraught. Just days before Trump’s arrival, Starmer dismissed Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, after revelations about Mandelson’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became impossible to ignore. Downing Street worked quickly to prevent those headlines from reviving scrutiny of Trump’s own past links to Epstein, which the president insists ended in the mid-2000s.
Activists who projected images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle on the eve of the visit were swiftly arrested. Trump was kept at a distance from protesters, while journalists largely avoided the subject—allowing Starmer to field just one carefully managed question on Epstein at a joint press conference.
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A Calculated Success?
For two days, Britain offered Trump the full spectacle of royal pomp and pageantry. In return, the government unveiled what it branded the “Tech Prosperity Deal”: £150 billion ($203 billion) in U.S. investment pledges. Roughly £31 billion was attributed to U.S. tech giants, earmarked for Britain’s AI and technology infrastructure, while private equity firm Blackstone promised an additional £90 billion over the next decade.
Officials claim the commitments will create 7,600 jobs, providing a much-needed economic boost ahead of November’s Budget. But critics argue that many of the investments had already been in motion and were simply repackaged to coincide with Trump’s trip.“There are big question marks about some of the details of these deals… including what concessions the UK made,” Olivia O’Sullivan of Chatham House told CNN. Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg went further, dismissing the agreement as “sloppy seconds from Silicon Valley” and warning that Britain risks becoming “a technological vassal state.”
Developing the kind of AI infrastructure envisioned by U.S. companies will require significant increases in Britain’s energy supply. Trump has long criticized the UK’s restrictions on new oil and gas exploration, though both governments did sign a deal this week to accelerate nuclear power development in both countries.
Still, the economic gains remain distant. “The proof will be in the pudding,” said O’Sullivan. “People want to see the benefits, and those won’t appear for some time.”
On trade, Britain touted its status as the first country to secure a post-tariff agreement with Washington. Trump’s new 10% tariff on British goods is lower than the rate imposed on the European Union, but still far higher than what the UK faced earlier in his presidency. Hopes that the U.S. might lift the 25% tariff on British steel were dashed, leaving the country’s embattled steel industry under strain. Last month, Britain’s third-largest steelworks collapsed into government control, underscoring the sector’s fragility.
By the government’s modest measure—avoiding missteps—the state visit was a success. But as the pageantry fades, questions remain: was the spectacle worth it, and will Britain see tangible benefits from all the pomp it showered on its American guest?
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