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Isa Soares Tonight
Man Accused of Shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Arraigned in Court; Both Congress and the White House Say They Want to Talk to the Secret Service About the President's Protection Protocols; King Charles III Makes an Official State Visit to Washington. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired April 27, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello, and a very warm welcome, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the man accused of that shooting at the
White House Correspondents' Dinner is being arraigned right now. Cole Tomas Allen is at a federal courthouse in Washington right now.
We're being told once his court appearance is done, we expect senior law enforcement officials, including the acting Attorney General and the head
of the FBI, to speak to the media. Of course, we will bring you that live when it happens.
And the incident has raised numerous questions you've been hearing on CNN about security surrounding the President, both Congress and the White House
say they want to talk to the Secret Service about his protection protocols.
Joining me now is legal analyst Jeff Swartz is a law school professor and a former judge in the state of Florida, and CNN senior White House reporter
Kevin Liptak, great to have you both with us. Kevin, let me just go to you because I am seeing now, we've got three charges here.
Let me talk them through, and this is good for Jeff as well listening in. Intent to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of
a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and third, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Jeff, let me go to you first. What do you make, first of all, of these three charges that we're hearing, these three counts?
JEFF SWARTZ, PROFESSOR EMERITUS, COOLEY LAW SCHOOL: They're pretty much what we heard over the weekend after the incident took place. These are the
simple ones. These are the slam-dunk ones. These are the ones they can establish probable cause to very quickly.
And they did it by way of a criminal complaint. When they go to the grand jury, the indictment will more than likely include numerous other charges,
including attempted assassination of every single government official that was in that room, as well as additional charges. It really isn't going to
change much, everything he's being charged with is a life felony.
SOARES: And I'm just reading now, Mr. Allen traveled across state lines armed with a firearm, arrived in Washington D.C. where he, quote,
"attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump." How do you see them?
Because I know we're talking about -- this about an arraignment. You see -- you call this something else, right? In much plainer terms, Jeff.
SWARTZ: Yes, OK, it's not really an arraignment because it's a first appearance hearing. There is no indictment, therefore there is, quote, "no
formal charge", close quote, until that indictment is issued. So, as a result of which he's not required to enter a plea of any kind at this
particular hearing.
This hearing is to advise him of why he's been arrested, have a magistrate or a magistrate judge or a judge himself or herself make a finding of
probable cause, set a time for an arraignment, assuming there's going to be an indictment or a probable -- what's known as a preliminary hearing if
there is no indictment by that date.
That's all it's -- that and finding that he's not going to be entitled to a bond because there's no way they're going to give him a bond. So as a
result of which, this should be short, sweet and very pro forma.
SOARES: And I mean, just for our viewers listening in as we got the accused gunman now, those joining us, is being charged with attempting to
assassinate the U.S. President, this is -- we're talking about Cole Tomas Allen, who is 31, who is appearing at a federal D.C. federal court.
We've been told in blue scrubs, he was also being charged, as for viewers just joining us in this breaking news story with discharging a firearm
during a violent crime and transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce. We're also hearing, Jeff, that prosecutors are asking
for pretrial detention. Talk us through then --
SWARTZ: Yes --
SOARES: What we're likely to see in the days and weeks ahead here.
[14:05:00]
SWARTZ: OK, first of all, as far as pretrial detention is concerned, I don't anticipate that whoever the defense attorney is, is going to --
SOARES: Yes --
SWARTZ: Fight that because it pretty much is pro forma where there's life felony. That's just going to happen. As far as from this point on, there
will be a grand jury that must meet because every charge must be indicted if it's a felony in the federal system.
There will be numerous other charges that will show up on that indictment. When that indictment is issued, he'll be taken before a judge for an
arraignment and at that point be told, are you guilty or not guilty? And he will enter his plea.
And from that point on, we'll probably be looking at a trial in somewhere in the 7-month to 12-month range.
SOARES: Right, and as you are talking, I'm seeing colleagues, of course, who are inside the courthouse giving us details of what is happening
inside, saying that the detention hearing will be before Judge Upadhyaya, saying, I think we've got more details on when that detention hearing is
going to be taking place.
I think it's Thursday, this Thursday. Stay with us, Jeff. Let me go to the White House here as we -- as we try to get more details. Do we -- do we
have Kevin Liptak with us? Kevin, we're getting this --
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes --
SOARES: News breaking in right now. This is more than obviously we were expecting in terms of -- in terms of what we've heard in the last few
moments -- reaction at this time from the White House, given that we've had Karoline Leavitt in the last few moments, what, 10, 15 minutes talking
about this and the shock it caused so many who were at that event on Saturday.
LIPTAK: Right, and what we heard from Karoline Leavitt was that the President would be keeping a very close eye on this initial hearing.
Remember, over the weekend, we heard from the deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, who described only the firearms charge and the charge against
shooting the law enforcement officer.
He did not necessarily say that this additional charge, the major charge of trying to assassinate the President would be included in there. And so, the
addition of that in this hearing today is significant. It comes with, obviously, a major penalty.
You know, the other individual who was recently charged with that was Richard Routh(ph), who was -- crawled onto the President's golf course when
he was running for president, and is now serving a life sentence.
And so, you can see where that may be heading. You know, Karoline Leavitt, the bulk of her briefing today was consumed with questions about the
security at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening, whether the White House and whether the President was satisfied with the protocols that were
in place that allowed this individual to check into the hotel, have a room on the 10th floor.
And on Saturday evening, descend into the area where this was taking place, rush through the security perimeter before he was eventually taken down.
She said that the White House was satisfied with how that particular incident unfolded, but she still acknowledged that this week, the White
House would be having meetings chaired by the Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, to discuss some of the protocols that are in place around the President's
events.
With the recognition that he has a number of additional major events coming up, starting today with the visit of King Charles III. That might require
some rethinking in terms of how those are structured operationally. And so, you have these sorts of dual sentiments.
Yes, they think that what happened on Saturday evening went according to plan. He was obviously taken down well before he made it into the ballroom,
and before he got into any close vicinity with President Trump.
But trying to look at all of this again with fresh eyes to determine whether there's anything additional that needs to be done to ensure the
safety and security of everyone.
SOARES: Stay with us, Kevin, let me go to Jeff Swartz, who is with us. And Jeff, we were talking about those three counts. I wonder if we can just
break them down for our viewers, and possibly what kind of sentence will we may be looking at?
Let's go backwards if we can. First, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, what are we looking like here in terms of years sentence
potentially?
SWARTZ: OK, potentially all three of them, so we can get it --
SOARES: Yes --
SWARTZ: Get it close -- get it done, are life felonies. There's nothing there for which the maximum penalty is not life. The difference is, among
them is that they also go into what's known as the sentencing guidelines.
Just because that's the maximum penalty doesn't mean that's the penalty he would get. If in fact, they have added on to the complaint a charge of
attempted assassination of the President of the United States, that is a life felony.
There's not going to be a lesser sentence. You get life for that. I think part of that is to assure that there is no possibility that this defendant
is going to end up getting a bond. I think that's why that was added on there.
[14:10:00]
SOARES: And what we are hearing are the details we keep getting from our team inside, that he will remain detained until Thursday's hearing. Jeff,
just so -- what -- we're getting more information --
SWARTZ: OK --
SOARES: And I want to give you some color --
SWARTZ: Yes --
SOARES: In terms of what is happening inside. Allen did not show much we're told if any emotions during the hearing, largely just looked at the judge
and showed no signs of much of anything. With -- given what we know, he -- what he'd written publicly, how his family had already given signs that
something was troubling him. His manifesto -- how clear of a case is this, Jeff?
SWARTZ: Well, let me put it to you this way. I don't see a defense of mental disease or defect. And the reason for that is, to be found not
guilty by reason of insanity. You have to establish one that the defendant did not know the difference between right and wrong.
And number two, that he understood the nature and consequences of his act. His manifesto makes it very clear he understands the nature and
consequences of his act. Either he was going to end up in life in prison, or he was going to end up dead.
He understood that, and he does know the difference between right and wrong, because he's apologizing to people for what he's doing.
SOARES: Yes --
SWARTZ: So, as a result of which he does understand that not guilty by reason of insanity is really not a possibility here.
SOARES: So, this is the legal aspect, of course, from Jeff. I want to get to our Kevin Liptak and speak to a bit, Kevin, if you're still with us
about the politics, because half an hour or so ago, when we heard Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary speaking from the White House at
the podium, we heard a very pointed criticism to the left -- on the left side, right?
He's saying that the crazed rhetoric -- she said led to the shooting, even calling some left-wing cults. What no one asked, though, was surprised by
is whether it's incumbent on the President to lead the way, of course, with language and rhetoric. What kind of response are we getting from the left
to this?
LIPTAK: Well, you know, I think any conversation about heated political rhetoric in the United States cannot ignore the role that President Trump
has played in all of this. But at the same time, he is also the individual who has now been subject to three assassination attempts.
And so, I think just generally, there is a desire, or at least, there should be, to lower temperatures around, you know, everyone who is involved
in politics in the United States. But clearly, Karoline Leavitt very harshly going after Democrats for what she says was overheated, overtalked
rhetoric that may be inspiring some of those who have tried to carry out these crimes.
And you also see the White House very harshly going after today, the late- night host, Jimmy Kimmel, for remarks that he made in advance of the dinner. But they say that now, in retrospect, could be considered violent
themselves.
And you saw a very sort of rare post from the first lady, Melania Trump, calling for him to be fired earlier today. But that's not to say that those
on the left have not also been targeted with political violence. You saw that last year when lawmakers in Minnesota, Democratic lawmakers were
actually killed by an assassin.
So, I think it's clear that this is a problem generally in the United States. It isn't exclusive to one side of the aisle or the other. And
President Trump himself, who has now been at the center of American politics for more than a decade, is sort of the driving factor on all sides
of politics in the United States.
He's at the very center of it all, certainly will have a role in trying to tamp-down on temperatures going forward. But I think it's also sort of
striking how quickly the White House and President Trump moved on from that very fleeting moment of solidarity that you saw in the briefing room on
Saturday evening, a very calm and composed President in his tuxedo, sort of making amends with the -- with the press that were in that room that
quickly turned a sort of hostile in that "60 Minutes" interview.
And then again today, you hear Karoline Leavitt, very harshly going after the media. I do think what she's saying there is reflective of a genuine
point of view of the President's advisors and of the President himself, that they think he is been put in danger by the rhetoric on the left.
And you hear that from people all the time in this White House, including after the two successive assassination attempts during the campaign. They
do genuinely believe that the Democrats have inspired some of these actions.
And so, she's speaking, I think, with a genuine concern there. But certainly, you see the divide really beginning to grow just two days after
this event had occurred.
SOARES: Kevin Liptak and Jeff Swartz, thank you very much to you both. Great to have you, of course, as we have this breaking news just in the
last, what? Fifteen minutes or so, that Cole Tomas Allen, who is the suspect in the White House, as we -- Kevin was talking about
correspondents' dinner shooting, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the President, among other charges.
[14:15:00]
We'll hear more on this on Thursday. He made -- the 31-year-old made his first appearance in a federal court in the last, what? Fifteen minutes or
so. We'll stay across this breaking news stories. We heard, of course, Kevin Liptak there, the White House mentioned King Charles' visit, official
state visit to Washington is going ahead despite that shooting.
And we are expecting him to arrive at some point this hour for what could be -- let's just say it, his toughest mission yet. The King and Queen
Camilla will look to strengthen the U.S. and U.K. special relationship that's been strained over the war with Iran.
President Trump's White House is rolling out the red carpet. He and first lady Melania will welcome the royals this afternoon with a private tea.
Tomorrow, King Charles will become only the second British monarch to ever address a joint meeting of Congress followed by a lavish state dinner.
Let's go to Washington. We're joined now by royal correspondent Max Foster. Max, great to see you. Don't you look so dapper out there. Give us a sense
of what we are expecting, of course, as we hear -- as we're expecting to see the king and queen at some point in this hour. Lay it out -- lay out
what we expect to see, at least for today.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so he is on time, I understand it, on the flight, and has been looking over his speech to Congress
tomorrow, which is the big highlight, probably of the whole trip. And I think we can expect him to have made some adjustments because of what
happened on Saturday night to the speech.
So, he'll be addressing that in the big speech. There have been some tweaks to the program because of security after that event. They spent much of
yesterday effectively putting the whole trip on hold whilst they work through all the security arrangements, but they managed to do that and we
should expect to see the king and queen arrive quite soon.
Then they'll head to the White House for an informal welcome by the President and first lady. The big ceremonial welcome will actually be
tomorrow after the White House. Today, though, they'll head here to the U.K. ambassador's rather glorious residence in Washington D.C., and there
will be a garden party. Guests already here.
It feels like, Isa, a mini-Buckingham Palace Garden party here at the moment, but I think that was the idea to show a little bit of mini-Britain
during this trip to many of the American guests actually.
SOARES: Lots of finger -- little finger sandwiches, no doubt, Max, as they were expecting, and scones, of course. Let me ask you, though, about the
meaning of this trip, because as you and I have discussed when you're here with me in London, is that this will probably -- or maybe, a delicate
mission, right, for the king.
And it comes at a politically-charged moment. We've seen this President verbally attacking not just Prime Minister Starmer, but also, you know, the
U.K. at various moments and making offensive remarks, all because, of course, the U.K.'s position vis-a-vis Iran.
How will the king go round this? How -- does he engage -- speak from -- as a royal correspondent. Does he engage in moments like this politically?
FOSTER: Not at all. I think that he's got to be above politics, if he gets involved in politics, that would be undermining his constitutional role.
How do they manage that from the tour perspective? Well, when you see the king arriving at the White House, you will see him meeting the President,
but it will be a still photo.
We won't have a reporter in the room. We won't have any video. And there are multiple meetings, interestingly, between the king and president during
this trip. So, there'll be lots of time to talk. I think the king will be addressing those issues in private.
We're not going to have any of them on camera, though. And we're not going to have any reporters throwing questions deliberately designed not to
embarrass the king or, you know, if -- get him drawn in. I mean, even a slight, as you know, Isa, a slight expression on his face when President
Trump says something about Starmer could be a massive problem when you consider how the British tabloids operate.
So, they've managed the trip away from that. So, I think there is nervousness that something might come loose, and he could face a moment
where Starmer is mentioned. But I think they've done, you know, their best job to avoid that on the palace and British side.
And the White House appears to be playing ball on it, because we can't think of another occasion where a head of state has visited the Oval Office
and there hasn't been a reporter or a video camera in the room too.
SOARES: Max Foster there for us in Washington, good to see you, my friend. Thank you very much indeed. And still to come tonight with talks at a
stalemate, Iran issues its list of red lines for the U.S. Next, what's included in Tehran's proposal. Our Nic Robertson has that for us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Well, diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Iran once again appear to be at a standstill. The White House says President Trump will
meet with top national security officials today to discuss what is next. A source tells CNN, Iran has a new proposal that would reopen the Strait of
Hormuz, but leaves the future of talks unclear.
Tehran has a list of red lines it wants Pakistan to pass along to the U.S., that plan called on the U.S. to end the war. Iranian state media report
that key American demands, including negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, would be tabled for now.
Iran's Foreign Minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin as you can see there today, and says the two leaders covered the war with U.S. in
detail. Abbas Araghchi told reporters that U.S. President Trump wants to resume talks between -- because the United States, pardon me, has not
achieved any of its objectives.
Our Nic Robertson has been following developments for us from Islamabad in Pakistan and joins me now. Nic, we have seen -- I think it's fair to say,
what, 48 hours or so of shuttle diplomacy by Iran's Foreign Ministry. And now, we're getting a sense or a better sense of these new proposals. Well,
how different is it from previous red lines, Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think when we talk about new proposals and old proposals, it's probably best to think
about it in terms of an exchange of ideas that sort of happening in a near continual situation or certainly, you know, on a regular basis.
The ideas that the U.S. puts forward go to Tehran. Tehran gets those ideas back to the -- their ideas back to the Pakistani mediators here and all of
this. And while it does look, you know, on the face of it, because Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner are not coming here now, and there's no plan at the
moment to have face-to-face U.S.-Iranian talks.
President Trump has said that things can be done on the phone. And I think that there is a sense here, at least, an optimistic sense, that a deal is
in sight and can be done. And the diplomacy is something that the Iranian Foreign Minister has to work on, of course, is not the sort of lead person
in Iran to make the decisions.
So, he's in Russia right now, and is going to have to go back, obviously, to Tehran. And he's going to have to discuss everything is heard from all
the different places and the stages of his trip in Pakistan, and discuss all of that.
I think when we're trying to sort of frame an understanding of what the phasing of an agreement might be, what an initial deal could look like, I
think if we sort of frame, it as a sort of a reset to before the war, if you will, so that very much parts the nuclear issue as the issue that this
all began around as a separate issue.
[14:25:00]
But it -- but it does deal with the Strait of Hormuz. It would potentially deal with what Iran wants to see, which are long-term commitments to a
ceasefire.
But I think some of the things that we've seen publicly coming from Iran about what they want out of the Strait of Hormuz, some kind of new legal
dispensation that would give them some kind of greater rights, the sort of spoils of war rights, to extract tolls or whatever it is, a new situation,
legal situation for them on the Strait of Hormuz.
I think that's widely seen as sort of posturing for a domestic audience and something that's not going to fly with the United States or, frankly, many
capitals around the world. You know, it'd be not -- most capitals would not really want to see the start of countries being able to put tolls on --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: On key shipping lanes. So, that seems to be posturing.
SOARES: We heard Karoline Leavitt; the White House Press Secretary, Nic, and she said regarding this, she said Iran's peace proposal, she said, is
being discussed. It will be interesting to see how exactly that would be received.
The idea of tabling for now of the Iran's nuclear program. But putting that aside, let's speak to this meeting with President -- Russian President
Vladimir Putin, of course, they've long had a strategic relationship with Russia, that is with Iran.
How has that evolved, Nic, over the course of the war, this relationship between the U.S. -- between we're seeing the U.S. and Iran, as we see this
war unfolding?
ROBERTSON: Yes, Russia has been a -- the major and a key supporter of Iran during the war. It's a symbiotic relationship because of course, Iran was
vital and critical to Russia in the war in Ukraine by introducing it to these Shahed drones, then became loitering drones, something Russia has
mimicked and made for itself.
So, there's this strong relationship there as well. And you know, in the early days of the war, it was understood Russia was providing satellite
intelligence for the Iranians to know precisely where to target U.S. assets spread at bases in the region. So, there's that.
And of course, you know, for President Putin to be able to sort of put himself and inject himself into this diplomatic process is valuable. It
puts him on the world stage, not forgetting, of course, that he can't really travel the world these days because, you know, he faces charges of a
war criminal from the ICC.
So, you know, as my understanding from my sources, this was something Araghchi was requested by the Russians to come have a visit. So, it's not
really quite clear what product would come out of this that would play into the -- into the talks process.
Certainly, Russia and no other countries actually are being invited to the table. It is the mediators of Pakistan; the two sides are the U.S. and
Iran. And that's how it's going to stand. You know, if we look historically, Russia did play a role back in the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal in
2015 because they took the medium enriched uranium, which was an issue.
They took that. They took that from Iran in a way that could potentially be a solution with the highly enriched uranium that Iran has right now, people
can see a potential there. But of course, President Trump has said, at various times that he wants it, that Iran has agreed to hand it over.
Iran has said it won't hand it over. So, that is a sticking issue. The nuclear issue is undoubtedly the hardest issue here, and that's why it's
getting shunted to the back-end of all of this, so as not to sort of -- so as not to get in the way of restoring peace, stability and global economic
movement of energy supplies.
SOARES: Yes, we are seeing, of course, the Strait of Hormuz, not much movement there, Nic, such great contexts as always. Thank you. Nic
Robertson for us in Islamabad. Well, it seems there's fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is unraveling.
Fourteen people, including two children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Sunday. And that is according to Lebanese health officials. It was the
deadliest day since the truce began. The IDF says it's targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Meantime, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is accusing Hezbollah of committing treason for refusing to negotiate with Israel. And still to come
tonight, Britain's King Charles is expected to arrive in the U.S. soon. We'll speak to a former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. about the diplomatic
impact this visit may have.
And then later, protecting the President. Why the White House says it wants to talk to the Secret Service about what happened at that shooting on
Saturday night. Both of those stories after this very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:32:48]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Let me show you these live images coming to us, of course, from Joint Base Andrews there showing the plane. As you can
see there, Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla, which has just landed in the U.S. for their first estate visit, I should say. They will soon --
as you can see, look at that plane. It's 2:00 in the afternoon there in the United States. They will soon be disembarking their plane. And then what
begins is a four-day state visit.
We've been hearing from our Max Foster at the top of the show that, of course, today's diplomacy that we'll see later this afternoon will include
a party at the garden of British Ambassador's residence. Of course, a staple for British royals. We're expecting something like 30,000 guests
invite to be invited here.
But this comes, of course, at a crucial time for the U.K. We've seen the relationship between both sides, between the U.K. and the president,
somewhat sour, following, of course, President Trump's attacks on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and under strain because, of course, of the Iran war.
President Trump has often had kind words, though, I think it's fair to say, for King Charles and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. In recent weeks,
he's been at odds, as I was saying, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for what Mr. Trump sees as a lack of support in the war, along with
other diplomatic issues. So, it will be a balancing act, of course, for the King, who doesn't get involved, as we heard from our Max Foster, with
politics.
It begins in Washington, D.C. They will be greeted at the White House by President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. And then, of course, they
attend the Garden Party. And there were concerns in the last 24 hours or so over security, given the gunmen and the incident we saw on Saturday, but
that's gone ahead.
And it is the first time, I think it's important to point out, the first time, as we keep looking at the plane there, just behind Air Force One,
first time a reigning monarch has travelled to the U.S. in nearly 20 years. Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles' mother, last visiting in 2007.
[14:35:00]
We're going to continue to look at these images, live images keeper and I, of course, as we wait for the king, King Charles III and Queen Camilla to
disembark their plane. And I really want to have a wider conversation at this moment as we wait for this -- and the significance of this four-day
state visit.
I want to go to Philip Reeker, if he's still with us. He is with us. Great to have you with us. He's a former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Ambassador,
great to have you on the show. As we look at these images coming in to us, Joint Base Andrews, we've seen the plane as landed. We're waiting, of
course, for the king and the queen to disembark. The significance of this moment, Ambassador?
PHILIP REEKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.K.: Well, look, a lot has come together in terms of diplomacy, in terms of protocol and just the
technical aspects of making a visit like this happen. This is, of course, primarily focused on the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration
of Independence.
And obviously, the king of the United Kingdom is a key figure in that. It was his great-great-great-great-great grandfather, George III, from whom
those colonies declared their independence. And that will be the fundamental basis of this. But we'll be reminded, of course, of this unique
relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, which has endured literally for decades since those more difficult times a couple of
centuries ago.
SOARES: And, Ambassador, of course, as I was mentioning before, just before I introduced you, this comes, of course, just days, right, before this --
we saw this horrendous attack by -- in Hilton in Washington. And I know state visits like this are planned for months.
But given the shooting in Washington, from the perspective of the royal family, and you know something like this, how long it takes to organize,
what discussions, what kind of discussions were they potentially having here to try and reassure the king and the queen that it is safe?
REEKER: Well, I'm sure there's tremendous link and cooperation between the security for the royal family, of course, and the Secret Service, who guard
heads of state, heads of government who visit the United States. The planning that has gone into this, every step of it, has been very careful,
and I'm sure they would have reviewed that.
I saw in the news reports that his majesty the king actually reached out to President Trump after that incident at the Hilton on Saturday night, and
they spoke. And I think it was reported that the king said he's still looking forward very much to his visit here, and we've seen that arrival
now on the ground in the United States.
SOARES: And as we -- as you were talking, Ambassador, we are seeing the plane, of course, just landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The state
visit will begin, a four-day state visit. We know that standing by to greet them, of course, once they disembark, will be Ambassador Monica Crowley.
She's the Chief of Protocol of the United States, and then British Ambassador to U.S. Christian Turner. Of course, there is an event later on
this afternoon at the residence, as we heard from our Max Foster, our royal correspondent.
What we also have been hearing a lot, Ambassador, is just the timing of this trip, right? Because it comes during what has been charged political
times. You heard from our correspondent probably at the top of the show saying, you know, President Trump has been less -- I think it's fair to
say, less than complimentary of the U.K., of Prime Minister Starmer.
What can the king do, you think, in terms of soft power here? What can they say without ruffling -- without him ruffling Trump's feathers?
REEKER: Well, I think you've heard President Trump say already that he looks forward very much to the king coming. He's expressed his admiration,
his respect for the king and the queen. And I think, frankly, for the United Kingdom.
Now, you know, President Trump is a controversial figure. He says controversial things. I think King Charles is particularly well positioned
to manage that. Not only does he bring the pomp and ceremony that comes with these royal visits, but the context, the history, the decades of
relations between our countries through all the twists of history, through good times and bad. And, of course, you know, that's been regardless of who
is in the White House or at Number 10 Downing Street.
And carrying the tradition of the late queen, King Charles' mother, we'll see, I think, a focus and interest in this visit. And it will underscore
the much broader relationship than any single government or administration carries out and what's happening based on current events and geopolitics.
So, we can move beyond that. And I frankly am excited to be going to that garden party myself just a little later this afternoon.
[14:40:00]
SOARES: I'm going to pause for a second. Ambassador, stay with us. I want to see if there's any music here. Let's just listen in for a few seconds.
REEKER: Great.
SOARES: So, what we are seeing, of course, we're seeing a brass band, we are seeing the stairs being moved, of course, just in front of the plane as
we wait, of course, for King Charles and Queen Camilla to disembark. If you're just joining, we're following breaking news. The king, King Charles
and Queen Camilla land in the last few minutes at Joint Base Andrews, where, of course, a state visit gets underway. It's a four-day state visit.
And then we know they're standing by at the bottom there of those steps to greet them. It will be Ambassador Monica Crowley, who's the Chief of
Protocol of the United States, and British Ambassador to the US, Christian Turner.
Ambassador, if you're still with us, we are expected also to hear King Charles address a joint meeting of Congress. And I know, as you well know
as well, the viewers will know who know King Charles well will know that he champions, he tends to champion some of the very traditional values that we
hold very dear. Democracy, liberty, freedom. Is this the moment you think that he will address what matters to him, what he values the most? Will
that be the venue that he does that?
REEKER: I do believe that he said -- you know, I've had the opportunity to speak with his majesty when he was, of course, at that time, still Prince
of Wales. And we spoke about the tripartite nature of American government, the separation of powers, the balance of powers, if you will, between the
executive, the legislative, and even the judicial. And in this sort of historic address to Congress, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did it, as
you said, 35 years ago. That makes this historic. I think he'll underscore that.
He'll certainly be signaling that, that he recognizes that the United States is far greater than a single branch of government. The Supreme Court
will be invited. The justices, they should be there as well to listen to this. And I think his messages will be about what we've all come through
together and the changes that we've experienced together over these 250 years and how those values endure.
And also, about all the things we share, whether it's language, the origins of our law, common law, the popular culture, our economic engagement, the
tremendous investment in both directions across the Atlantic. So, there's just a lot there.
And the king, having been a military veteran himself, will underscore, I expect, what our troops have done together, going all the way back to, of
course, Winston Churchill's time at World War II when the Prime Minister then, Winston Churchill, called this the special relationship. And it does
endure in a very special, unique way.
SOARES: You say that. A couple of weeks ago, Ambassador, I was hearing a former diplomat -- former ambassador, I should say, here on the radio in
the U.K. saying there's no such thing as a special relationship given, of course, the attacks we're seeing by this U.S. president against Prime
Minister Starmer and some of the wording, of course, and the rhetoric he's used against the U.K. Is that -- how do you view the state of that
relationship?
REEKER: Well, again, I think if you go back in history, you look at 1956 and the Suez Crisis. There was some tension then. And at that time, too,
there were a number of people saying this is the end of the special relationship. Of course, it perhaps is more than coincidence that in 1957,
Queen Elizabeth II, the current king's mother, of course, came for her first visit to the United States and was described then, looking back
historically, as having charmed not only President Eisenhower but the American people through a showing of respect and commonality that we share
an interest in America.
SOARES: Yes.
REEKER: And, of course, Americans are very interested in this. You'll see this tremendous interest in the royal family in Great Britain now. So,
special means different things to different people at different times. But it certainly is a unique relationship. And enduring, I think, is the most
important word.
SOARES: That is a very good word. Let me just bring in our royal correspondent, Max Foster. Stay with us, Ambassador. Max, you can't see
this, but I'll give you a sense. We're seeing, of course, the plane there, joint base entries, a door. Steps are aligned now. We're waiting for that
door to open. Speak to the moment. What is the king trying to get out of this four-day state visit? How important is it for the king and the queen?
[14:45:00]
FOSTER: I do -- Yes, I am seeing it, Isa. There might be a bit of a delay.
SOARES: Oh, you are seeing it? Good.
FOSTER: Let me just remind viewers that I might be -- I'm not that slow. But -- so, it's a four-day visit. The king doesn't do many foreign visits
at the moment. He has weekly treatment in a London hospital. So, that's why it's four days. He'll have to get back for that. But it was seen as an
absolute priority.
But to be fair, the U.S. state visits are always the priority for the British government because it is Britain's most important ally in the
world. But because of the huge amount of tension and strain in the U.K.- U.S. governmental relationship, much more is being made of this event because he's a unique asset, the king, for the British government. He's
someone that gets on very well with Donald Trump.
And Donald Trump almost sees him as, you know, someone on his level. And I think that he's a very important asset. So, his job coming in, really, is
to work very closely with Donald Trump, try to re-establish that bond, even if it's not around current issues, is a long-term bond, and then speak to
the long-shared history, effectively, between the two countries, which is undeniable.
SOARES: Yes. And this, of course, a state visit, Max, as ambassador was telling in the last few minutes, of course, is to mark the 250th
anniversary of U.S. independence. Give us a sense of what we are expecting to see over the next four days. I know there's a Garden Party, and I think
you are at the Ambassadors' residence later on today, and a joint meeting of Congress, right? Talk us through that.
FOSTER: Yes. So, he -- so, all of his staffers are coming off the back of the plane at the moment, also the queen's staffers and palace officials,
also government officials. We're actually going to be speaking later on to the foreign secretary as well, who's here accompanying the king on the
trip, but is not going to get involved in any way, because that obviously confuses with the politics here, but she does have a governmental role.
So, once they leave this flight, they'll be heading to the White House for a more informal meeting. The big formal meeting entrance is tomorrow, but
they'll have a meeting there. We'll have some still photos, and they'll head here to the British ambassadors' residence in Washington. You might be
able to hear the orchestra practicing the national anthem.
SOARES: We can see the brass band there, yes. National -- and we've also seen them rolling out the red carpet.
FOSTER: Brass bands, really.
SOARES: Max Foster, thank you very much indeed. We're going to leave Max Foster for just a moment. Ambassador, let me bring you in, of course. Any
moment now we expect these doors, of course, to open. I was asking Max what the king would want to try to get out of this visit, state visit. He is, of
course, you know, a diplomat par excellence. I think it's fair to say you've alluded to this.
There is an element, though, of maybe not concern, but of jeopardy, and that is this president, President Trump, who is somewhat unpredictable. How
disciplined do you think, Ambassador, do you think you'll be?
REEKER: Well, I think President Trump revels in his unpredictability, frankly. I do believe, as we saw in the state visit last September, when
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump went to the U.K. to be hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla on an unprecedented, frankly, second
state visit for a president, of course, in a new term. He really, as some people said, behaved well. I think he saw the moment for what it was, a
sort of historic moment.
He does have, I think, a respect, even an affection for the king that has developed. Obviously, the king has been to the United States many times,
and I do believe he's going to want to connect with the American people. Obviously, that's difficult in just four days, and in the kind of
environment these visits take place in.
But speaking to the combined houses of Congress, the people's representatives, visiting a town in Virginia, which will remind us of the
250 years after we broke away from what was then Great Britain as colonies. I think going to New York, and there he'll talk about the economic
relationship, the power of business and investment, but also commemorate the victims of 9/11. And I remember when I was in London, very much, the
queen inviting me for a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, where the band played the Star-Spangled Banner at Windsor Castle, and I
took the salute.
SOARES: And there he is.
REEKER: Those are moving moments that remind us of our joint special relationship.
SOARES: Ambassador, as you were talking, we're now seeing King Charles and Queen Camilla there disembarking from their plane. This is Joint Base
Andrews in Maryland. Their state visit, of course, to the United States, four-day, gets underway. Let me just listen in.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: And standing by there to greet them, to greet the king, King Charles and Queen Camilla, is Ambassador Monica Crowley, who's the chief of
protocol of the United States, and the British ambassador to the U.S., Christian Turner, and you see some children there gifting Queen Camilla
beautiful flowers, and King Charles, too.
There is a lot of expectations, of course, on this four-day state visit and what King Charles can achieve in trying to heal this somewhat strained
relationship, special relationship that the ambassador, Philip Reeker, and I have been talking about.
Ambassador, if you're still with us, I mean, you were saying earlier, and I forgot to follow up on this. You were saying how special, what a fondness
Americans have for the British royal family, which is ironic, right, given that we're celebrating 250 years. But what is, speak to that. What -- where
does this fascination come from?
REEKER: Well, I think part of it is it may come from the fact that not only do you have this long tradition and you can tie King Charles back directly,
a direct descendant, his five-times-great-grandfather, king George III, but as the head of state, and it gives somebody something to hold on to in
terms of the continuity of the state and certain traditions and values while celebrating diversity and things that have moved ahead, obviously, in
those 250 years.
In the United States, of course, we have the head of state and head of government combined into one person, an elected person, of course, but it
puts those two burdens there and it makes it more difficult to separate state from government. And I think that's what the king will be able to do
is to say, look, we're not going to discuss politics or policies here. We're going to discuss the totality of this relationship, including the
personal rapport he has developed with President Trump.
SOARES: Yes, and it does, and President Trump, as we have seen repeatedly, is very fond of King Charles. Let me just listen and see if we can hear
anything. Let me just pause for a second.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES: Two beautiful national anthems there as the king and queen, of course, begin their four-day state visit to the U.S. I'm going to bring in
Kevin Liptak, and Kevin, we've got about 19 seconds or so. Speak to the importance of this visit for President Trump.
[14:55:00]
LIPTAK: Well, you know, he is someone who has such an affinity not only for King Charles, but for the royal family as an institution. He's talked
previously about watching his own mother watch on television Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Obviously, his mother is from Scotland, from the
Outer Hebrides.
And so, this is a visit that I think is especially meaningful for President Trump and certainly the hope of the British government is that those keen
personal ties will go a long way in repairing what has become a very badly damaged relationship between the president and the prime minister, Keir
Starmer, over the war in Iran, over this question of the United States potentially withdrawing its recognition of Britain's control over the
Falkland Islands.
All of these, sort of, very ugly sentiments that have seeped in. I think you'll see the king really try and repair some of that when he gets here to
the White House. You know, they're getting in their car now. It's about a 25-minute drive through Maryland, and he'll be at the White House soon.
They'll be greeting, they'll be having tea, really kicking off what is hopefully in the eyes, I think, of both sides of a very friendly visit.
SOARES: Tea and some scones and some finger sandwiches. How very British. Kevin, thank you very much indeed. Our thanks as well to Philip Reeker, the
former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Thank you, Ambassador. Great to have you on the show with us.
Do stay right here. We'll have more, of course, on the state visit. "What We Know" is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Thank you for your company.
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[15:00:00]
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