Trump suggests US could join British Commonwealth as “associate” member

 

President Donald Trump suggested that the United States could join the British Commonwealth on Friday in a post to Truth Social, his social media platform.

The president shared an article from British tabloid The Sun reporting that King Charles III was making a "secret offer" to the White House, and that plans are in process for the U.S. to become an associate member of the international organization.

"I Love King Charles. Sounds good to me!" Trump wrote in response to the report.

Newsweek has reached out to the Commonwealth for comment via email Friday afternoon.

Why It Matters

The Commonwealth is primarily comprised of former British colonies or dependencies, born out of the breakup of the British Empire in the mid-20th century. Joining such a group could be seen as a different tact to Trump's other messages on groups such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations (U.N.), which he has been skeptical of.

What To Know

According to The Daily Mail, the king is expected to make the offer to make the U.S. the 57th member of the Commonwealth at a time when America's relationship with the European Union (EU) has been strained over Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

The offer is being seen as a way to bolster the U.S. and United Kingdom's so-called "special relationship", despite America having famously split from British rule in the 1700s. The two countries have frequently worked together on foreign policy in the 20th and 21st centuries.

While joining the Commonwealth would largely be symbolic, as the group does not affect governance of its member nations, the move could be used to help avoid the heightened tariffs on steel and aluminum Trump has promised, according to The Daily Mail.

Trump has shown his support for the British royal family for many years and visited Buckingham Palace as part of a state visit during his first term in the White House. The idea to join the Commonwealth was first floated during that 2017-2021 term.

The king invited Trump back to the U.K. for another visit in a letter hand-delivered by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on his trip to the White House. At the meeting, Trump described King Charles III as "a beautiful man."

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-suggests-us-could-join-british-commonwealth-2048679