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The King has become only the second British monarch in history to address a joint session of Congress, touting the 'irreplaceable' bond between the US and UK while delivering a speech to American lawmakers. The King also helped to get British-US relations back on track with a White House speech that celebrated American independence, and had room for a few jokes. LBC callers have shared their thoughts. 00:00 King Charles addresses Congress 00:46 King Charles speaks at a White House state banquet 01:00 Caller Reinhardt, who is not a monarchist, says he was ‘touched’ by Charles’ speech. 05:16 Caller Dave, who believes the King’s visit to the US was a ‘terrible idea’, thinks that the speech to Congress was ‘one of the best speeches he’s ever heard’. 09:20 Caller Chris, a Republican, reluctantly praises the King’s speech, but reckons it won’t be long before Trump turns on the UK on Truth Social. 11:23 Caller Dave thinks Charles’ Congress speech has put the UK ‘in good stead’ with the US. 11:57 ‘Charles couldn’t have done a better job,’ says caller Michael — but argues the message was too ‘subtle’, insisting the current administration is not truly Britain’s ally. Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewlbcapp #jamesobrien #henryriley #debate #news #kingcharles #donaldtrump #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup
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0:00
And for all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked
0:06
As Oscar Wilde said, we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language
0:17
In the immediate aftermath of 9-11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time
0:25
and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror
0:31
we answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century
0:37
shoulder to shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan, and moments that have defined our shared security
0:46
Indeed, you recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States
0:51
European countries would be speaking German. dare I say that if it wasn't for us
0:56
you'd be speaking French Reinhardt is in Chesham Reinhardt, what would you like to say
1:03
Well, yeah, the king, the old boy he's one month older than me
1:08
so there we are yeah, I mean I'm certainly not a monarch
1:13
a monarchist in any way shape or form but I was so touched by his speech
1:19
tearfully touched It was a statesman-like speech. It was a speech like JFK could have given or something like that
1:32
See, he was addressing the American people. He was addressing the American heart, the American soul
1:40
he was talking beyond above below trump he was kind of ignoring trump and addressing
1:50
the soul of the people directly it was a kind of speech that americans these days
1:56
hardly hear certainly not on on on on the news or in the media but but but they they're used to
2:05
hearing those speeches because in American schools they learn about speeches and stuff like that
2:11
I did when I was an exchange student there many many years ago and
2:16
that was so skillful that was so brilliant and yeah it was
2:23
great. I like the fact that you qualified this by saying you're not a monarchist
2:27
particularly because this is more important than the monarchy this is simply about who is able
2:33
to stand firm against the deluge of depravity that Donald Trump represents
2:40
who is able to stand firm without fear of being washed away
2:44
And the king is in a very small club, isn't he? Yeah, exactly, exactly
2:49
And that's where the monarchy has value. I think you're right. I mean, the queen would have not done that
2:56
The queen wouldn't have given a speech like that. I don't know. I mean, I don't have a cultural memory of her in her younger days
3:05
I only really have an image of the Queen in the last 20 years of her life
3:09
and we weren't really watching in the way that we watch now
3:14
But I don't know. I mean, I don't think we need to say that the Queen wouldn't have done it
3:18
We can just focus on the fact that the King did. And what do you say to the people who will be laughing at us
3:24
And I'm going to cautiously suggest that the people laughing at you and me now haven't actually listened to the speech
3:29
They haven't actually taken the time to... But what do you say to the people who say
3:34
this is all ridiculous, it won't change anything? Because we're all so used to hearing, playing games
3:43
Politics has become about playing games. The King's speech showed that politics can also be about addressing values
3:55
and that is something that's getting lost. You're absolutely right. And he reminded us of a value-based politics
4:06
and that's a big thing. Which is weird given that, you know
4:10
he is, as you alluded to at the beginning of your contribution, he is a representative of an old order
4:18
albeit that he's, you know, not the wielder of any meaningful power
4:23
He's still the head of state and that he's not a democratic position that he holds
4:27
And yet you're right, those values that he spoke of have been completely clouded and polluted and even destroyed
4:35
And he just stood there and that's why it's important. Even if Donald Trump, before the end of this program
4:40
does something else disgusting and depraved, insults our war dead, insults our prime minister
4:45
even if he steps up to the unlikely heights of insulting our king it important that the king did this I wonder whether sometimes we forget that the real real points of principle the real moments that matter are the ones that don have
5:01
any payoff or reward, the ones that aren't actually going to change the dial or swing
5:06
the pendulum in the moment that you deliver it. They're just reminders of the importance
5:10
of the field, the rules of engagement by which we all live. Dave is in Shepherd's Bush. Dave
5:18
What do you reckon? Hello, my friend. Hello. Just a couple of things
5:22
I was, so I'm not for the royal family and I'm not against the royal family
5:27
but I was most certainly against the king going to do this visit America
5:32
I thought it was a terrible, terrible idea. I think I, well, I did as well
5:36
I can't pretend I didn't. I said so, didn't I, on the radio. Yeah. I was close to calling in, but sometimes your phone lines are a little bit busy
5:43
This is true. But I've listened to the speech today. I'm going to be listening to it again
5:48
And I think it was one of the best speeches I've ever heard. I think it was fantastic
5:53
I think it was funny. Whoever wrote it or what team wrote it, because you have a king
5:58
You have what I would deem to be a highly educated man speaking so well
6:03
And he was laughing at Donald Trump. I mean, just even just one of the takeaways when he says, my dear old friend, you mentioned we would have all been speaking German, but you would have all been speaking French
6:13
and Donald Trump, in my view, he won't even realise that the world was laughing at him
6:21
No one around him will be brave enough to tell him that that speech was a masterclass
6:25
and made you look like an idiot. They won't be able to tell him that. And that man doesn't realise of the speech, the integrity
6:34
and I personally think the comedy value of that speech that he gave
6:38
He carried it out well because not only, We spoke about it before regarding people in this country in a position of power
6:45
When you speak with that accent and you speak with that authority, like me and you do on a regular basis
6:50
people listen to us. People believe it. Even if it's not believed, they listen
6:56
They're listening to a king. There are so many people in America who will hear a king speaking and will take him what he says
7:03
Some people will go over their heads. But I will take back my position at the beginning of the week
7:08
I was totally wrong, and I'm so glad that he went. But the way he conducted himself and that speech, honestly
7:15
because if you just very quickly tie in something else you were talking about during the week, if you look at Trump in 60 Minutes when he's doing that interview
7:22
and the interviewee asks him, didn't mention it's him, says about the manifesto
7:26
he looks at the woman, looks at the camera, the rage in his face
7:30
of somebody even questioning him on anything. He looked at the camera and he thought, I don't care
7:36
and he calls her disgusting and vile. He won't be able to do that to the king. But he actually, honestly, he will not be aware
7:42
of how that speech will be taken globally. He's not educated enough
7:50
I do think it will turn a little bit against the UK, but I don't think he will be able to be as nasty to the king
7:57
as he would be to another political figure. But it doesn't matter now because you've got that speech
8:03
It's such a fascinating point, isn't it? because what we've done and what Starmer has done
8:07
although I doubt he'll get much credit for it, he'll get no credit. Beyond the walls of this studio, probably
8:12
in the context of the UK media, but what Starmer has done is recognise the capital
8:16
if you like, the cultural capital that King Charles has, in the court of Donald Trump
8:21
That cultural capital is probably, crossed fingers, touched wood, something that will insulate him
8:27
from the kind of hideous personal attacks that Trump will inflict on anybody else
8:31
from the president of Ukraine right through to the prime minister of the United Kingdom. It's just people like Vladimir Putin that won't ever be on the wrong end of his childish attacks and childish insults
8:42
So they carried that. And that's quite a big ask of Charles. That is saying you've got this cultural capital and now we need you to use it as leverage in the United States of America
8:52
But that's what the king is for. You know, the cultural capital is not something that he has achieved
8:56
It's something that has been bestowed upon him by hundreds of years of history in this country and hundreds of years of royalty
9:03
and that cultural capital, whether you like it or not, a bit like fancy accents demanding more attention
9:08
whether you like it or not, it's a matter of fact. And he took that cultural capital to the White House
9:13
and he cashed it. As one might say by Joe, didn't he carry it off well
9:20
Hi, Henry. We meet again. We meet again. Always nice to hear what you have to say, though. Yeah, well, just briefly
9:27
last time we spoke we were debating whether the king has power or not. Yeah. And I can't help but feel he might have a little bit of power
9:32
I'll see where he's currently standing. But anyway, we've done that. Yeah, let's not fool that again, Chris
9:38
Come on, we're friends here. We're friends. We united by Simon Marks But I think that the one thing that Trump wants to be more than a dictator is a king Yeah And so it not surprising that he does show Charles respect
9:54
And I'm sure, annoyingly, it was a really good speech. And I'm a Republican, but it was brilliant
10:01
It was really good, as much as I hate to admit it. But as soon as Charles won't even have left the tarmac before
10:07
Trump will be slagging us off on true social, because that's what he does, isn't it
10:12
He did it after the state visit when he came to us. It didn't take long
10:18
I think Air Force One had probably been in the air for about 10 minutes before he was moaning about us again
10:23
Yeah. But, I mean, ultimately, whilst it's gone down well, and even you're saying you're annoyed how good it was as a Republican
10:31
was it worth it? Because it's more than just about Trump, isn't it? I think, yeah, if I was going to take something positive out of it
10:38
I would say that when your previous guest that you had on a short time ago
10:42
was saying that the Democrats and Republicans being in unison, I think that they just enjoyed a bit of sanity
10:48
Like someone was speaking on the world stage and they had a bit of normalcy
10:54
Like the cult had kind of shut up for five minutes. So there was sort of an adult in the room
10:59
But ultimately, you know, Trump was trying to nuke Iran a week ago. And the only reason why we're not in a third world war
11:06
is because someone stood up to him. So it's not going to make a huge difference in the long run
11:10
And we just have to keep, you know, it's what Nick Abbott said. Trump is, we're all strapped to a chair and there's a baby running around with a gun
11:20
And we just have to hope that, you know, we don't get caught in the crossfire. Dave is in Croydon. Hello, Dave
11:26
Oh, hi. Yeah, I thought the king did really well, actually. What was it that impressed you? Was it just the tone of it
11:32
Is it the way he carries himself? What were you won over by? I think, look, the Americans, you know, the Americans have an affinity with this country
11:39
and as I said, despite the way this present government had behaved
11:48
I think that he brought it back and I think at the end of the day, they wanted to hear what they heard
11:54
and I think it's had us in good stead. I think it's good. Michael is in Greenwich
11:58
Michael, for people who don't know, you have a history in the US diplomatic corps
12:03
which means you're probably going to pour at least some cold water upon my rare feelings of patriotic stirrings this morning
12:12
Well, yeah, probably. There we go. I mean, the speech was brilliant
12:20
and I also had questioned whether or not it made sense for the King to go
12:25
but he, I don't think, could have done a better job. No, good
12:31
But what I think, if you're in Dubuque, you're not going to listen to the king's speech
12:37
Or probably not. What you're more likely to see is the picture that Trump posted of himself
12:45
and the king was the Captain 2 King. Yes. You know, just people are going to pay more attention to the visual
12:52
than they are the content of what really was a brilliant speech
12:59
Extremely well done. probably way too subtle for many of the people who one would hope had listened to it
13:09
And I think people still need to realize here that at this point in this administration
13:18
the U.S. is not Britain's ally. Yeah, of course. Huge amounts of money are going to be spent supporting parties that would want to dismantle democracy
13:28
and this isn't it's not going to change Trump it's not going to do his his numbers stay steady
13:34
surprisingly unbelievably but they remain steady and and I at this point so again I think the King's
13:43
speech was brilliant I think it was it was as good as it possibly could have been and yet I doubt it
13:49
will have much impact in fact in terms of from supporters of the you know it's going to be seen
13:55
as burnishing his image. They'll sell it as a plus. I mean, in a way, it's a microcosm of everything
14:00
You have nuance, subtlety, class, expertise, education, evidence, all brought to bear by King Charles
14:09
And then into exactly the same arena steps Donald Trump with crassness and memes
14:14
and his team cheer the crassness and the memes and don't even notice the subtlety, the expertise, the evidence
14:20
the rhetoric, the oratory, and the sheer class of what King Charles did yesterday
14:25
Now, just to add a bit of light, I mean, who is he speaking in front of
14:33
He's speaking in front of Congress. And I still think there still some hope as slim as it may be that there may be some people willing to question some of what Trump attempting to do in the sense that many of them have already said
14:48
they're not running again. They're lame ducks. Now, the King's Beat may have ignited in them
14:55
some of the commitment and patriotism that might have inspired some of them originally
15:02
to run for office, which they seem mostly to have forgotten. Well, I think of a tank, a fuel tank, not a military tank
15:08
I think of a fuel tank, and I was thinking exactly the same thing, actually
15:13
because I think he's done it to me a bit, although it probably won't last, in that you need a little reminder sometimes of what it is that you believe in
15:20
And King Charles has possibly just put a few drops of fuel back in the depleted tanks that you describe
15:26
and reminded people of what it is that they believe in. And he's done it pretty clearly, albeit that it was not clear enough for the people that we're talking about and probably not clear enough for Donald Trump himself
15:37
Some of the cleverer people around him will know exactly what has happened. But by championing diversity, by stressing the importance of foreign policy involving, you know, absolute involvement with and support for NATO and absolute solidarity with allies like Ukraine against enemies like Vladimir Putin's Russia
15:57
and crucially, I think, the importance of checks and balances on the executive
16:01
Charles didn't have to go there. He really didn't have to go there, and he did
16:06
And, you know, we've all got a little crib sheet of Trump's attempts
16:10
to undermine, attack or dismantle checks and balances on the executive. And there'll be people in Congress, I hope
16:16
who, whether or not it changes their long-term intentions and ambitions, they will just feel a few splashes of petrol
16:25
landing in their heavily depleted fuel tanks as a reminder of what it is that drove them into politics in the first place
16:33
No, I agree, and it may resonate even beyond that. For example, the Speaker of the Florida Legislature
16:41
is standing up to DeSantis, and he's someone who may very well listen to this speech
16:46
and that may, I think, in a great ogy, that may put some fuel in his tank
16:54
And I was inspired by it. And I think that we need to be reminded
17:00
and as you said earlier in the show, what's admirable is that people who do those things
17:08
which need to be done regardless of the consequences, they just need to be said
17:14
Yeah, and we forget that, don't we? That's what gets battered out of us sometimes
17:20
Because we say, well, I won't make any difference. Yeah, exactly. You don't – someone told me years ago that you act out of compassion and have no attachment to resolve
17:31
Yeah. I've puzzled over it for 50 years, but I know he's right
17:35
Yeah, you do what's right because it's right, not because of anything that will happen as a consequence, but just because it's right
17:41
I tell you what, Michael, I wonder whether having heritage like that – and I normally see it as a negative in the context of the British ruling class
17:50
But perhaps you look at the world in a much more long-term way if you are able to trace your family back to the Doomsday Book or beyond
17:59
You know, I usually use trees as my example here. There's not much point in me planting any trees because it's highly unlikely that my grandchildren, my children, let alone my grandchildren, are going to be living on the land that I currently inhabit
18:11
But if my family's been there for 400 years, I'm going to plant trees that aren't going to come to fruition for 150 years
18:17
So Charles perhaps knows this isn't actually going to, Donald Trump isn't going to have a road to Damascus experience
18:23
and go on live television tomorrow to announce that he's giving it all up to become a monk or a half-decent man
18:28
But in the context of the broad sweep of history, standing up and saying what needs to be said just needs to be said
18:36
It just needs to be that. That's what integrity is in a way, isn't it? I think with the king, I don't know him, Sure
18:45
But obviously, but I think that... I'll introduce you. Thanks. Actually, I had a conversation with his mother at one point
18:53
There you go. But I think with him, that may be an element
19:00
But I do also think that he sees that he's been given this responsibility to be of service
19:07
So you see his commitment to the environment. i think there's a very you know a deep and commitment to serve it yeah in his life and
19:16
and i don't know that it takes the long view to do that i mean i would you're right actually it's
19:21
what he is there for it's what am i here for what do i do with this weird job i've got and actually
19:26
that's what we're all here for yeah regardless of the job we have yeah and he's and he's and
19:31
he's found purpose and and it was never clearer than it was yesterday thank you michael
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