About this episode
The episode discusses contrasting speeches by Trump and King Charles in Washington DC, highlighting their differing views on US values and international responsibilities.
April 29, 2026 Trump and King Charles give very different speeches in Washington DC, Trump’s speech portrays the US as no longer a nation based on Enlightenment principles, Trump suggests that the Atlantic Charter was an affirmation of a shared gene pool between the US and the UK, In his speech to a joint session of Congress, King Charles describes the US as having been founded on the revolutionary idea of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, King Charles aligned these ideas with the ideals of English Common Law and the Magna Carta, He also calls for resolve to help the people of Ukraine fight off the Russians, King Charles urges the US to join the UK in rededicating themselves to service of their people and the peoples of the world. Trump seems to miss the point of King Charles’s speech. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ- Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe You can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en Facebook…
People in this episode
Host: Heather Cox Richardson
Topics covered
- political speeches
- US-UK relations
- Enlightenment principles
- King Charles
- Trump
- Ukraine conflict
Keywords
- Trump
- King Charles
- Washington DC
- Enlightenment
- Atlantic Charter
- Ukraine
- political speeches
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Atlantic Charter, Magna Carta
Places: Washington DC, Ukraine, US, UK
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