Trump wraps up UK state visit with gratitude for his hosts while largely sidestepping tough issues

AYLESBURY, England (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was “tremendously thankful” for the pageantry and splendor lavished on him during his second state visit to the United Kingdom as he wrapped up a trip that largely sidestepped major public disagreements over difficult trade and geopolitical issues.

The mutual warmth, along with Trump's abundance of kind words bestowed on the host country, suggested that an all-out charm offensive by the royal family and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had its desired effect, even though there was a notable lack of progress on some key matters.

Trump and Starmer signed what both sides hailed as a historic agreement on science and technology, and they held a roundtable with global business leaders where they suggested the deal could mean significant job gains. Among the topics tackled mostly in private talks between Trump and Starmer were the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and U.S. tariff rates on steel imported from Britain.

"The bond between our countries is like no other anywhere in the world,” Trump said at a news conference at Chequers, the 16th-century manor house northwest of London that serves as a rural retreat for British leaders. The U.S. and U.K., the American president said, have “done more good for the planet than any other nation in history.”

Joining in the bonhomie, Starmer said that "time and time again, it is British and American men and women, side by side, changing the path of history and turning it towards our values, towards freedom, democracy and the rule of law.”

The very end of the trip saw Trump’s helicopter carrying him from Chequers to the airport at Stansted for his flight to Washington make an unscheduled landing at a local airfield due to what the White House called a “minor hydraulic issue.” No one was injured, and a backup chopper completed the journey.

The Trump-Starmer mutual admiration followed King Charles III and Queen Camilla's feting of Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle on Wednesday with all the pomp the monarchy can muster, including the biggest military honor guard ever assembled for a state visit.

Trump called the king and queen “two fantastic people" and said he was" “tremendously thankful” and “grateful beyond words" for the hospitality.

Even high-profile points of dissent, such as Britain's impending move to recognize a Palestinian state, stayed cordial. “I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score,” Trump said, adding that "it's one of our few disagreement, actually.”

When Trump was asked about his lack of progress in brokering a deal to end Moscow's war in Ukraine and he acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ”let me down," Starmer escalated the flattery a notch. The prime minister said he and Trump had discussed how to "decisively increase the pressure on Putin” and that Trump had “led the way here.”

There was disagreement, too, over immigration policy.

Trump urged Britain to take a harder line and insisted he had made clear to Starmer that when too many people enter illegally, it “destroys countries from within." Still, when Starmer sharply criticized Hamas, Trump reached over from his podium and slapped the prime minister on the back in support.

At an earlier signing ceremony for the agreement meant to promote tech investment, Starmer referred to the Republican president as “my friend, our friend” and spoke of “leaders who respect each other and leaders who genuinely like each other.”

The Trumps' final day in Britain began by bidding farewell to the king and queen at Windsor Castle and flying by helicopter to Chequers for more spectacle: a ceremonial honor guard with bagpipers, in a nod to Trump's Scottish heritage, and a parachute demonstration. He also was shown the archive of wartime leader Winston Churchill, who coined the term “special relationship” for the bond between the allies.

It's something Trump’s British hosts have stressed repeatedly, almost 250 years after that relationship endured a rocky start in 1776.

To coincide with the visit, Britain said U.S. companies had pledged 150 billion pounds ($204 billion) in investment in the U.K, including 90 billion pounds ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone in the next decade. Investment will also flow the other way, including almost $30 billion by pharmaceutical firm GSK in the U.S.

U.K. officials say the deal will bring thousands of jobs and billions in investment in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy. It includes a U.K. arm of Stargate, a Trump-backed AI infrastructure project led by OpenAI, and a host of AI data centers around the U.K. American companies are announcing 31 billion pounds ($42 billion) in investment in the U.K.’s AI sector, including $30 billion from Microsoft for products including Britain’s largest supercomputer.

British officials said they have not agreed to scrap a digital services tax or water down internet regulation to get the deal, some details of which have yet to be announced.

There was less movement on tariffs.

In May, Starmer and Trump said they had agreed to reduce U.S. tariffs on Britain’s key auto and aerospace industries. Talks on lowering duties on steel and aluminum to zero from their current level of 25% have stalled even with a promise four months ago of a settlement within weeks.

Trump was asked in a Fox News Channel interview, taped in London and aired while he flew home, whether he would be willing to decrease tariffs on U.K. steel. He was noncommittal, saying, “We're making a lot of money.”

The British government has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Starmer said the situation was “a humanitarian catastrophe” as he acknowledged a divide with the president on recognizing a Palestinian state.

While the prime minister has played a major part in European efforts to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine, Trump's visit offered few major advancements. Trump even insisted at one point, that the conflict "doesn’t affect the U.S.”

The president has expressed frustration with Putin, but has not made good on threats to impose new sanctions on Russia. The king, in his state banquet speech Wednesday night, offered Trump a gentle nudge, noting “as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace.”

It seemed like questions about Jeffrey Epstein would dog Trump throughout the trip, especially given that his visit began days after Starmer fired Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, over the envoy’s past friendship with the convicted sex offender, who authorities say killed himself in 2019.

But Trump largely avoided the issue. Police did arrest four people over a stunt that saw an image of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein projected on a tower at Windsor Castle.

Asked about Mandelson during the news conference, Trump said only that he did not know the former ambassador, despite photographs showing the pair together in the Oval Office.

Weissert reported from Washington. AP Technology Writer Matt O’Brien contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump attends a joint press conference with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Leon Neal, Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gesture next to first lady Melania Trump and Victoria Starmer after watching a display by the British Parachute Regiment's "Red Devils" display team at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump gestures next to Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a joint press conference at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer attend a joint press conference at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump, foreground right is greeted by Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria, as he visits the prime minister's country residence Chequers, near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Ian Vogler/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump arrives for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, right, stand next to Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they bid their farewells during Donald Trump's departure from Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump meets Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer smile, holding a memorandum of understanding between the governments of the two countries after a business roundtable at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Britain's King Charles III, left, formally bids farewell to US President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, Thursday Sept. 18, 2025. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump, left, is greeted by Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he visits the prime minister's country residence Chequers, near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Ian Vogler/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump waves next to Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer upon arriving at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, arrives for a State Banquet at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Sept. 17, 2025. (Phil Noble/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Britain's King Charles speak during the State Banquet in Windsor Castle, England, on day one of U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump's second state visit to the UK, Wednesday Sept. 17, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP, Pool Photo via AP)

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, arrive for the Beating Retreat military ceremony at Windsor Castle, England, on Wednesday Sept. 17, 2025, day one of the president's second state visit to the UK. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP, Pool)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend their visit to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Wednesday Sept. 17, 2025. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.

Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited loud boos.

Trump is watching from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum. He is the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.

Trump’s Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying “Trump must go.”

He settled into Dolan's suite shortly afterward.

During the afternoon before Trump's arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year’s Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game.

They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with going through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security.

After traveling from his new home in Florida for the game, Knicks fan Greg Weldon said the main inconvenience faced so far has been the lack of information.

“We’ve asked so many cops, secret service, guys with machine guns, what to do, where should we go,” he said. “Nobody knows.”

Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump.

“There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,” Johnson said.

With security stepped up, a watch party outside was canceled, and ticket-holders were not allowed to bring bags inside the Garden. Fans had gathered near the arena to watch games during this playoff run, during which the Knicks have won 13 games in a row to reach the final for the first time since 1999 and move two victories from their first NBA title since 1973.

“We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Monday. "But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden.”

This is the latest major sporting event Trump has attended during his time as president, and the security measures have created major hassles for fans.

Thousands of fans missed the start of last year’s U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner because of lengthy security lines. Even though the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still couldn’t get in because added measures meant that they had to go through screening not only when they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite.

Federal law enforcement officials have been reexamining Trump’s security in light of three incidents in the past two years: a shooting at a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the discovery of a man armed with a rifle as Trump played golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, later that year; and the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Asked Sunday his thoughts on Trump attending, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said: “Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries were also at the game.

It was already hard enough for Knicks fans to get inside Madison Square Garden because of astronomical ticket prices. The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, surging over $5,000. The best seats are tens of thousands of dollars. Mamdani said he bought his ticket, which he said was standing-room-only, for about $1,000 directly from Madison Square Garden.

The difficulty of seeing the game in-person has prompted fans to crowd bars, streets and watch parties all over the city. The watch party near the Garden has become a major event all through the playoffs, but with Trump attending, that event was moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at Bryant Park.

“We improvise,” said Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who is a New York native. "We're New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”

AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

U.S. Secret Service agents and a U.S. Marine brace against the downdraft as a support helicopter lands before Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard, at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left, Knicks owner James Dolan and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

NYPD officers escort the motorcade of President Donald Trump outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

New York Knicks fans wait in line to enter Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Secret Service agents stand guard in front of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

The motorcade of President Donald Trump arrives to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

A Secret Service agent stands watch outside Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

Security fencing is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

Security is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

FILE - President Donald Trump, center, attends the men's singles final at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sept. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

A traveler tries to navigate the area as stringent security measures are set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

FILE - Donald Trump, right, talks to an unidentified man from the stands at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 11, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)