Donald Trump says he was invited by King Charles to visit the UK and a date in September may be set. Listen below to the latest episode of Trump 100 as you scroll.
Friday 18 April 2025 00:08, UK
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Today, Donald Trump said a date in September was being set for a possible visit to the UK.
The announcement came after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Trump had accepted an invitation to visit Rome during a news briefing at the Oval Office.
„I want to thank President Trump for having accepted an invitation to pay an official visit to Rome in the near future and consider the possibility, on that occasion, to meet also with Europe,“ she said.
Here are the other key lines from the last 24 hours:
Donald Trump has again spoken about Harvard University and claimed the educational establishment is abusing its tax-exempt status.
„I think Harvard is a disgrace,“ Trump told reporters at the White House tonight.
Yesterday, Trump threatened Harvard with the possibility of it losing its tax exempt status amid a row with the university.
It comes after the US government froze more than $2.2bn (£1.67bn) in funding for the university after it defied demands made by the Trump administration to curb protests on campus.
The Ivy League university, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has accused the federal government of trying „to control the Harvard community“, including calling on the student body, academics and staff to be „audited“ on their views about diversity.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused US envoy Steve Witkoff of „spreading Russian narratives“ about the Ukraine war – as he said a much-anticipated minerals deal was moving closer.
His comments came as Witkoff was in Paris for talks with Ukrainian and European officials.
The diplomat met Vladimir Putin last week and later told Fox News he had held „compelling“ discussions with the Russian leader.
You can read more here…
The US president says China has „reached out a number of times“ to Washington since they were hit with 145% tariffs.
He says the country has reached out „a lot“ and both countries are talking about the levies.
„I think we will make a deal with China,“ he adds.
„We have plenty of time.“
Donald Trump is answering questions from reporters at the White House this evening.
He says a date in September is being set for his state visit.
„I was invited by the King and the great country. They are going to do a second fest – that’s what it is. It is beautiful,“ Trump says.
„It is the second time is has happened to one person. The reason is we have two separate terms and it’s an honour to be a friend of King Charles and the family, William.
„I think they are setting a date for September
„I don’t know how it can be bigger than the last one. The last one was incredible but they say the next one will be even more important.“
Donald Trump’s team see Giorgia Meloni as someone who can bridge the gap between the US and Europe, our US correspondent James Matthews says.
Looking at the meeting in the Oval Office tonight, Matthews says the leaders „covered a lot of ground“.
„Trump and his officials see Meloni as an interlocuter,“ he says.
„She is increasingly somebody they think can build a bridge between the US and Europe on tariffs.
„In terms of progress, they have agreed there will be a meeting – Trump will go to Rome.“
Matthews also says Meloni is in Washington „as a representative of the EU“.
„They [European leaders] will be comforted to hear that as they watch developments from Brussels,“ he says.
During the White House news briefing earlier, Donald Trump said that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s termination „cannot come fast enough“, while calling for the US central bank to cut interest rates.
Trump has been calling for his termination, accusing him of not cutting interest rates quickly enough. This comes after the central bank chief delivered a stark warning about the effect of Trump’s sweeping tariffs on the economy.
„The Fed really owes it to the American people to get interest rates down. That’s the only thing he’s good for,“ Trump said.
„I am not happy with him. If I want him out of there he’ll be out real fast believe me.“
Giorgia Meloni is „playing a tricky hand“ by going to visit Donald Trump but has „performed well“, the former British ambassador to Italy says.
Speaking to Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Sir Ivor Roberts, says that „Trump operates on a personal level and has his particular likes and dislikes“.
When it comes to Trump and Meloni, the „two are ideological bedfellows and see eye to eye on most things“.
But the former ambassador notes Meloni has said tariffs are a mistake and has also asked for a more robust line on Russia.
„Those are two areas where they have some distance but she seems to have bridged that gap and used her personal relationship with Trump to good advantage in the European cause and the Italian cause,“ he adds.
Sir Ivor also says that Trump going to Italy is „significant“.
Donald Trump now goes on to speak about the tariffs the US has imposed on countries.
He says: „We’re taking in tremendous amounts of money with the tariffs.
„We were treated very unfairly with trade and countries are getting used to the fact that they can’t do that to us anymore.“
The US leader says „everyone wants to make a deal“ with the US and „fantastic numbers“ will be seen.
„Tariffs are making us rich,“ he adds.
„We’re taking in billions of dollars.“
The US president is asked about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was removed from the US by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.
He is asked if he will take steps to return him.
Trump says: „I’m not involved in it but you will have to speak to the lawyers.“
He goes on to say: „We were inundated with millions of people during the Biden administration and a big proportion of them were criminals.
„I was elected to get them out of our country.
„I don’t see how judges can take that authority away from a president.“
He says his team has done an „amazing job“.
Trump says the US has „activist judges who don’t want murderers to be sent out of our country“.
„Maybe that’s the liberal way?“ he adds.
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