Ex-White House Secretary Reveals Trump’s First Impression of Charles — and It's Far From Flattering
Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham claimed that Donald Trump found his first meeting with King Charles a bit awkward.
Donald Trump has often spoken highly of King Charles, even calling him 'the greatest king in my book' during his US state visit in April. Given such admiration, it is impossible to imagine he ever held a negative view of the monarch. However, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham begs to differ, revealing that Trump was bored out of his mind during his first meeting with Charles at Clarence House in 2019, though he later had a change of heart.
In her new book, The Queen and Her Presidents, Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page quoted Grisham, who claimed that Trump was left 'bored' by Charles, who kept beating around the bush. In a passage serialized by The Telegraph, she wrote, "Never mind that Trump had complained to aides that the then-Prince Charles bored him during their first meeting in 2019." She continued, "Afterward, Trump told Grisham that the conversation had been terrible. 'Nothing but climate change,' Trump groused, rolling his eyes. Melania Trump confirmed that with a laugh. 'Oh, yes, he was very bored,' she said of her husband. But Trump said he had had a change of heart about Charles since then."
Indeed, Trump began singing a very different tune after more meetups with Charles. After Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House for the state dinner, Trump spoke to reporters and complimented Charles's earlier address to Congress. While the King never directly criticized him, the speech included a few jabs at his leadership style. Regardless, the President gushed, "He [Charles] made a great speech. I was very jealous." During the banquet speech, he once again brought up the King's powerful address and congratulated him, saying, "I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress. He got the Democrats to stand; I've never been able to do that."
Not only that, but Trump once again tooted Charles's horns during their warm send-off from the White House on April 30. Pointing toward the King as cameras flashed nearby, he remarked, "Great King," before going a step further and gushing, "The greatest King in my book." The farewell ceremony concluded a closely watched diplomatic mission to strengthen the 'special relationship' between the US and the UK. His final message to the reporters was, "We need more people like that in our country," referring to Charles and Camilla.
Charles and Trump first met for tea at Clarence House in June 2019 during the latter's UK state visit, where they discussed climate change. As reported by Business Insider, the meeting, expected to last 15 minutes, extended to around 90 minutes, with the then-Prince of Wales leading much of the conversation. Publicly, Charles has remained diplomatic, showing courtesy while differing with Trump on issues like climate, although some reports allege he was fearful of the President's sudden outbursts ahead of his UK state visit last year.
