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King Charles' ‘unprecedented, historic' invitation to US President Donald Trump

King Charles' ‘unprecedented, historic' invitation to US President Donald Trump

News.com.au5 days ago
Donald Trump is officially locked in for an 'unprecedented' state visit to the United Kingdom later this year.
King Charles III had formally invited the US President and the First Lady, Mrs. Melania Trump, to the UK, with Buckingham Palace announcing Monday the invitation had been accepted.
The monarch and his wife Queen Camilla are set to host Mr Trump and Mrs Trump at Windsor Castle for two days from September 17 until September 19, heralding a royal offer which has not been presented to any world leader in history.
Second-term presidents, traditionally, aren't given another grand state visit. President Barack Obama, in his second-term, was offered tea at Windsor Castle, as was George W. Bush.
'His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the First Lady later this year,' a Buckingham Palace aide told the BBC in June, when it was reported members of the British Embassy had delivered an official invite to the White House.
Mr Trump last visited the UK in an official capacity in 2019, when he embarked on a state visit hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.
Mr Trump discussed the 'unprecedented' invitation in signature fashion when speaking to reporters back in April.
'They're going to do a second, as you know, a second fest … that's what it is: a fest, and it's beautiful, and it's the first time it's ever happened to one person,' he said.
'And the reason is we have two separate terms, and it's an honour … I'm a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William, we have really just a great respect for the family.
'And I think they're setting a date for September.'
It comes after the pair were initially expected to meet informally over the summer, but their schedules didn't allow for a catch up.
Discussions first began back in February when Mr Trump met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, in which Mr Starmer presented a letter to the president in the Oval Office.
Mr Starmer said it contained an invitation for an 'unprecedented second state visit.'
'This is really special. This has never happened before. Unprecedented,' Starmer said to the press.
'I think that just symbolises the strength of the relationship between us.
'I think the last state visit was a tremendous success. His Majesty the King wants to make this even better than that. So, this is truly historic.'
'The answer is yes,' Trump responded.
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Donald Trump threatens to sue as Wall Street Journal publishes contents of note he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein
Donald Trump threatens to sue as Wall Street Journal publishes contents of note he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein

News.com.au

time11 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

Donald Trump threatens to sue as Wall Street Journal publishes contents of note he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein

A furious Donald Trump has threatened to sue a US newspaper after it published details of a strange note he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein to mark his then-friend's 50th birthday. Today The Wall Street Journal reported on a gift Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein's chief co-conspirator in his underage sex trafficking crimes, who is now serving a 20-year jail sentence – prepared for him in 2003. Maxwell collected messages from Epstein's associates and compiled them into a leather-bound birthday album, according to documents reviewed by the newspaper. One of the messages was in Mr Trump's name. Epstein was not arrested until 2006. That case led to his infamous 'sweetheart' plea deal, negotiated with federal prosecutors, which saw him admit to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution and serve a 13-month sentence, but escape prosecution for more serious trafficking crimes. He was then rearrested in July of 2019 on sex trafficking charges, accused of exploiting girls as young as 14. He died in prison a month later. It was ruled a suicide. The note to Epstein bearing Mr Trump's signature has several lines of typed text – describing an imagined conversation between the pair – inside the outline of a naked woman, drawn with a marker pen. According to The Journal, the name 'Donald' is signed just below the woman's waist, in a mimicry of pubic hair. 'This is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story,' Mr Trump told the paper before it published the story. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words.' And he threatened to sue. 'I'm going to sue The Wall Street Journal, just like I sued everyone else,' said the President. 'Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls***,' Vice President J.D. Vance tweeted after publication. 'The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? 'Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?' The Justice Department and FBI, which have been responsible for investigating the Epstein case, declined to comment. After the story was published, Mr Trump offered the following post on Truth Social. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney-General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' he said. 'This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!' The above would only involve evidence presented to a grand jury in an attempt to establish criminal charges, meaning testimony related to Epstein himself or Maxwell - a mere fraction of the so-called Epstein files. No third parties, none of the men for whom Epstein allegedly procured underage girls, have ever faced charges. Returning to the note. The text of it conveys a mocked-up conversation between Epstein and Mr Trump. Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything. Donald: Yes, there is, but I won't tell you what it is. Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret. We already knew that Mr Trump and Epstein were friends for over a decade. They were photographed together on multiple occasions, often alongside Melania Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell, and flight logs show Mr Trump travelled on Epstein's private plane, the 'Lolita Express', seven times in the 1990s. Those flights were all between Florida and New York, where both men owned property. None went to Epstein's notorious private island, located in the US Virgin Islands. 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,' Mr Trump told New York Magazine in 2002. 'He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. 'No doubt about it: Jeffrey enjoys his social life.' There was a subsequent falling out. According to Mr Trump, his friendship with Epstein ended before his aforementioned guilty plea in 2008. When Epstein was arrested the second time, Mr Trump said he hadn't spoken to him for 15 years. There has never been any evidence to suggest Mr Trump was involved in Epstein's sex trafficking crimes. This all comes less than two weeks after the Justice Department released a memo, on July 7, which essentially said it was closing the Epstein case. The department said a 'systematic review' had 'revealed no incriminating 'client list''. 'There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions,' it said. 'We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.' The memo also concluded that Epstein did, indeed, kill himself in prison. It set off a shockwave within Mr Trump's MAGA movement, which felt the Trump administration had betrayed its own promises to release the Epstein files. Soon after taking office, Mr Trump's handpicked Attorney-General Pam Bondi told Fox News the so-called 'client list' was 'sitting on my desk' for review. And in February the administration distributed binders full of Epstein-related documents – most of them already public – to selected right-wing influencers, describing those documents as merely 'phase one' of a broader release. Now, it seems, there will be no further releases. Mr Trump, for his part, has expressed confusion at Americans' continuing interest in the Epstein case, and has gone so far as to say he no longer wants the support of those within MAGA who keep talking about it. He has taken to calling the unreleased Epstein files a 'hoax', and now claims they were written by his political enemies, such as former president Barack Obama, former FBI director James Comey and his predecessor Joe Biden. 'Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,' he wrote on social media yesterday, referring to the Democrats. 'And my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bulls***,' hook, line, and sinker. They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for eight long years. 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!' The White House reportedly tried as hard as possible to squash today's Journal story before it was published.

Trump administration seeks to release some of Epstein probe material
Trump administration seeks to release some of Epstein probe material

News.com.au

timean hour ago

  • News.com.au

Trump administration seeks to release some of Epstein probe material

President Donald Trump attempted Friday to control the storm triggered by a bombshell report on his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, ordering the Justice Department to seek the release of testimony from the prosecution of the late, alleged sex-trafficker-to-the-famous. Trump also vowed to sue "the ass off" The Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper said that in 2003 the future president wrote a raunchy letter to Epstein, referring to their shared "secret." "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would ask a court to unseal grand jury testimony from the case against Epstein, apparently in hopes of dampening fury among many of Trump's most loyal supporters over what they see as a White House cover-up. Epstein, a financier, was found hanging dead in his cell in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida. The case sparked conspiracy theories, especially among Trump's far-right voters, about an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles. Epstein's death -- declared a suicide -- before he could face trial super-charged the narrative. When Trump returned to power for a second term this January, his supporters clamored for revelations about Epstein's supposed list of clients. But Bondi issued an official memo in July declaring that there was no such list. The discontent in Trump's MAGA, or Make America Great Again, base poses a rare challenge to the 79-year-old Republican's control of the political narrative in America. It remained unclear whether a court would authorize the unsealing of what is usually highly secret grand jury testimony. Even if such material were made public, it was also unclear whether it would shed much, if any, light on the main questions raised in the conspiracy theories -- particularly the existence and possible contents of an Epstein client list. - Naked woman and signature - Trump was friends with Epstein and the two were photographed and videoed together at parties over the years, although there has never been evidence shown of wrongdoing. The Wall Street Journal article published late Thursday was damaging because it indicated a shared interest in sex. The Journal reported that Trump had wished Epstein a happy 50th birthday in 2003 with a letter featuring a hand-drawn naked woman and referring to their "secrets." The letter was reportedly among a slew of well-wishes from other rich and well-known figures for a birthday album. A furious Trump said on Truth Social that the purported letter was a "Scam" and "Fake." Trump also said that the Journal's chief editor, Emma Tucker, had been told the letter was fake and that she shouldn't publish it. According to the Journal, the Trump letter contained the outline of a naked woman, apparently drawn with a marker pen, and had the future president's signature "Donald" mimicking pubic hair. It ends, according to the newspaper, with "Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump reacted in a series of furious social media posts, saying "it's not my language. It's not my words."

G20 nations agree central bank independence 'crucial'
G20 nations agree central bank independence 'crucial'

News.com.au

time2 hours ago

  • News.com.au

G20 nations agree central bank independence 'crucial'

The G20 nations stressed Friday that central banks must remain independent, after months of escalating attacks by US President Donald Trump on Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell. The US leader has repeatedly lashed out at Powell for not lowering interest rates more quickly, calling the central banker a "numbskull" and "moron". This week he suggested he could be dismissed for "fraud" over his handling of a renovation project at the Federal Reserve headquarters. "Central banks are strongly committed to ensuring price stability, consistent with their respective mandates, and will continue to adjust their policies in a data-dependent manner," the grouping said, in a joint declaration after finance ministers' meeting in South Africa. "Central bank independence is crucial to achieving this goal," said the statement, a rare consensus also signed by the United States. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not attend the two-day meeting in the port city of Durban, with Washington instead represented by acting undersecretary for international affairs Michael Kaplan. The G20 is made up of 19 nations and two regional organisations and its members account for more than 80 percent of the world's economic output. The group has scrambled to respond to drastic policy shifts by its richest member, the United States, which has upended global trade rules since Trump's return to the White House. "The global economy is facing heightened uncertainty and complex challenges, including ongoing wars and conflicts, geopolitical and trade tensions," it said.

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