King Charles hails ‘unbreakable’ US-UK bond despite ‘disagreements’ as he addresses joint session of Congress – live | Trump administration

• King Charles addressed a joint session of Congress, where he made an appeal for multilateralism and joint action on climate change at a moment when Washington under the Trump presidency has retreated from both. But the king’s speech seemed to be relatively well-received, peppered with quips about royal tradition and American independence from the British crown. He hailed the US-UK bond as ‘unbreakable’ while acknowledging “differences and disagreements”. He warned of the threats facing democracies around the world and observed before the chamber filled with administration officials and legislative leaders, that “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since Independence”.

• Meanwhile, James Comey has been indicted a second time by Donald Trump’s justice department, months after a federal judge dismissed its initial case against the former FBI director, a source familiar confirmed to the Guardian’s Sam Levine.

• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to order early reviews of eight Disney-owned ABC stations as soon as Tuesday in a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s fight with major media outlets, a source told Reuters. This comes after Jimmy Kimmel refused to apologize for a joke made days before the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting in which he described Melania Trump as glowing “like an expectant widow”. Since the dinner, both Trump and the first lady accused him of inciting violence.

• Applicants seeking a temporary visa to the United States must now tell a consular officer that they have not experienced harm and do not fear returning to their home country, according to new guidance issued from the state department. If they answer yes or decline to respond to either question, the chance they will be denied will skyrocket.

• Before the king’s speech, congressman Ro Khanna held a rountable with the survivors and family members of Jeffry Epstein’s abuse. The California Democrat said Charles had declined his invitation to meet with some of the survivors.

Charles ended with an appeal to the countries’ shared history, which he described as a “story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership”.

From “bitter divisions” to a defining alliance that is “one of the most consequential alliances in human history,” Charles said the arc was long but hardly guaranteed. He urged the leaders –and the people – of the UK and the US to resist isolationism.

“I pray with all my heart that our Alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking,” he said.

“America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since Independence,” the king observed, drawing oohs and murmurs of agreement from the audience.

He then quoted Abraham Lincoln, leaving Congress with the 16th US president’s reflection that “the world may little note what we say, but will never forget what we do”.

“And so, to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday,” the king said, concluding his roughly 28-minute speech, “let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world.”

Charles is now pulling back the lens, warning of “the collapse of critical natural systems”.

“We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems – in other words, nature’s own economy – provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security,” Charles, widely recognized as a pioneering, long-term environmental advocate, said.

In an emotional appeal to the American legislative body, he referenced the aftermath of 9/11, when the Nato alliance invoked Article five. “We answered the call together – as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder, through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security.”

The same “unyielding resolve,” he argued, is now required to “secure a truly just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and to combat the “disastrously melting ice-caps of the Arctic”.

“The commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of Nato, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans an Europeans safe from our common adversaries,” he said.

The US-UK alliance, Charles argued, is not just strategic – it’s built on 250 years of shared principles. Calling it “truly unique,” he invoked a vision of transatlantic partnership that remains “more important today than it has ever been.”

Now, the king said, was “an era that is, in many ways, more volatile and more dangerous than the world to which my late Mother spoke, in this chamber, in 1991”.

“The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone,” he said. “But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that foundational principles simply endure.”

He quoted prime minister Keir Starmer, who called the US-UK partnership “indispensable”.

“We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last eighty years. Instead, we must build on it,” he quoted Starmer.

Charles is charming the members of Congress, who keep laughing at the monarch’s self-deprecating humor.

Marking his first visit to Washington as King and Head of the Commonwealth, he said DC is a place that symbolizes what Charles Dickens might have called “A Tale of Two Georges”.

“My five-times Great Grandfather, King George III. King George never set foot in America and, please rest assured, I am not here as part of some cunning rearguard action,” the King quipped, drawing laughter in the chamber.

“The Founding Fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause,” he continued. “250 years ago … or, as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day…. they declared Independence.”

It drew more laughter, applause and whoops from the audience.

Charles acknowledged “our differences” and “disagreements” but emphasized the countries’ shared “commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our countries”.

“Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it… So perhaps, in this example, we can discern that our Nations are in fact instinctively like-minded – a product of the common democratic, legal and social traditions in which our governance is rooted to this day,” the King said.

He quoted Trump calling the US-UK bond “irreplaceable and unbreakable”.

Charles drew laughs when he imparted a bit of ceremonial British tradition during such addresses to parliament.

“As you may know, when I address my own parliament at Westminster, we still follow an age-old tradition and take a member of Parliament ‘hostage’, holding him or her at Buckingham Palace until I am safely returned,” he said. “These days, we look after our ‘guest’ rather well – to the point that they often do not want to leave! I don’t know, Mr Speaker, if there were any volunteers for that role here today…?”

Charles then made reference to the war in the Middle East and acknowledge the recent assassination attempt against Trump at a Washington media dinner on Saturday night.

“We meet in times of great uncertainty; in times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East which pose immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries,” he said.

“We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from this great building that sought to harm the leadership of your Nation and to foment wider fear and discord. Let me say with unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed.”

Charles began his remarks with an expression of gratitude to the chamber and the American people for allowing him to address this joint meeting of Congress in recognition of the country’s 250th anniversary of the US’s declaration of independence (from Great Britain).

The lawmakers and guests in attendance rose to their feet in applause.

“For all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked,” Charles continued. He began, interestingly, with a wry quip by the Irish playwright and novelist, Oscar Wilde: “We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!”

King Charles has arrived on the dais, in the US House of Representatives, where his mother stood 35 years ago to deliver the first address by a British monarch to a joint meeting of Congress.

He will speak at the lectern, in front of House Speaker Mike Johnson and vice president JD Vance, in his role as president of the Senate.

The chamber rose to its feet for the King and Queen’s arrival, applauding without pause as they made their way through the well of the chamber to the dais. Charles shook hands with Vance and Johnson, accompanied by the Queen.

In just a few minutes, King Charles will address a joint session of Congress, only the second time a British monarch has done so after Queen Elizabeth II’s speech in 1991.

The King is expected to allude to recent strains between the UK and US while underlining that “time and again our two countries have always found ways to come together,” according to a preview shared with the Guardian.

The speech comes as part of a four-day state visit by Charles and Camilla to the US to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence from the UK.

But the placid tour comes at a turbulent time for the longstanding allies. Since returning to office, Trump has threatened to tear up a trade deal signed by the UK and US, mocked the Royal Navy and insulted the UK prime minister.

The US president’s anger with the UK and prime minister Keir Starmer is largely driven by the latter’s refusal to take part in the US and Israeli offensive against Iran, which continues to destabilize the global economy.

Charles is also expected to acknowledge the Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse in his remarks, according to congressman Ro Khanna.

Comey was charged over a picture he posted on Instagram last year in which sea shells were arranged to say “86 47”, CNN and the Associated Press reported.

At the time, the post was interpreted as a threat to Donald Trump. The number 86 can be used as shorthand for getting rid of something, and Trump is the 47th president.

Comey’s post was captioned: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” He later removed the post, saying in a follow-up statement that he was unaware of the seashells’ potential meaning and insisting that he does not condone violence of any kind.

“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey said in a statement. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

The incident was investigated by the Secret Service.

We have some new details on the gifts exchanged between the Trumps and the King and Queen.

Trump gave Charles a “custom facsimile” of a letter written from John Adams to John Jay on 2 June, 1785.

According to background provided by the White House, Adams writes that “the meeting was marked by the pomp and ceremony required by the occasion of a royal audience. But beneath the pageantry, Adams described a strong undercurrent of emotion as the King and his former subject—once bitter enemies—met face to face, as statesmen.”

Melania Trump gifted Camilla six Tiffany’s sterling silver teaspoons and White House honey, apparently a “nod to the Queen’s interest in beekeeping”.

In return, the King gave Trump a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, the originals of which are held by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. The Resolute Desk sits in the Oval office and serves as the principle desk for the US president.

The Queen gifted Melania Trump a brooch by the British jewellery designer Fiona Rae whose work “is a fusion of traditional craft skills alongside the latest developments in technology and computer-aided design”.

James Comey has been indicted a second time by Donald Trump’s justice department, months after a federal judge dismissed its initial case against the former FBI director, a source familiar confirmed to the Guardian’s Sam Levine.

CNN first reported a new indictment had been filed.

Comey is one of the president’s most high-profile political adversaries and Trump has repeatedly called for his prosecution, including in an extraordinary public message to the then-attorney general Pam Bondi. Trump recently fired Bondi after growing frustrated with the lack of progress Bondi had made on prosecuting the president’s political enemies

Last year, the Justice Department first brought criminal charges against Comey, accusing him of lying to Congress over leaks to the press. The case was later thrown out by a federal judge, who concluded that the prosecutor handling the case, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed.

In the opinion, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie wrote that Halligan had “no lawful authority to present the indictment” against the former FBI director and New York attorney general, Letitia James, another political adversary of Trump’s.

But the effort to prosecute Comey appears to have been restarted by the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, who is publicly angling to be appointed permanently to the role.

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Anna Betts

At the roundtable, the brother of the late Virginia Giuffre criticized King Charles III for not meeting with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse during his visit to the United States this week.

“Survivors are here sitting with members of Congress, still fighting to be heard, still pushing for real accountability, while many of the powerful figures connected to these systems remain just out of reach, unable to acknowledge survivors face to face,” Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts said. “You would expect this to be a moment for the king to give a message to the world that he stands with survivors.”

The discussion included relatives of Giuffre, who took her own life last year, Sharlene Rochard and Danielle Bensky, Epstein survivors, and representatives from several human rights and women’s rights organizations.

The scandal surrounding Epstein, along with the recent release of US Department of Justice files related to him, has reverberated around the world but particularly in the UK, where the relationship between Epstein and the king’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has plagued the royal family for several years.

Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor had sexually abused her after she was trafficked by Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied these claims. In February, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, stemming from allegations he may have shared confidential material with Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy. He has denied any wrongdoing or accusations against him and has not been charged.

Earlier today on Capitol Hill, congressman Ro Khanna said King Charles declined his invitation to meet with some of the survivors and family members of Jeffry Epstein’s abuse.

The California Democrat has played a central role in forcing the disclosure of millions of sealed documents related to the late financier’s sex-trafficking network, which has rolied the British royal family.

King Charles eventually stripped his brother, the former Prince Andrew, of his royal titles and privileges over his links to Epstein.

“I thought it would have been a incredible moment and statement to show that it doesn’t matter how much wealth you have, how much power you have, no human being is dispensable and that the survivors deserve justice,” Khanna said. “He unfortunately declined that request.”

But Khanna said he had been assured by the British ambassador that there would be an acknowledgement of the survivors in the King’s speech to Congress. “I hope his flunkies don’t take out the acknowledgment from his address,” the congressman said.

Late last year, the King officially stripped his brother, the former Prince Andrew, of his HRH style and his prince title over his connection to Epstein.

Trump said the private Oval Office meeting with King Charles was “really good” and called the monarch a “fantastic person”.

The off-camera exchange avoids the fate of other foreign leaders subject to a public upbraiding by the US president and other senior administration officials.

According to the Guardian’s earlier reporting, British officials have pushed for the Oval Office meeting between the monarch and the US president to be held off camera for fear of a repeat of the scenes when Trump berated the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in front of the world’s press.

“It was a really good meeting,” Trump told reporters in brief remarks afterward. “He’s a fantastic person. They’re incredible people and it’s a real honor.”

Applicants seeking a temporary visa to the United States must now tell a consular officer that they have not experienced harm and do not fear returning to their home country, according to new guidance issued from the state department. If they answer yes or decline to respond to either question, the chance they will be denied will skyrocket.

The Guardian obtained a state department cable which instructs officers at every US embassy and consulate globally to amend their process and ask applicants to affirm they do not fear mistreatment if they return home as a prerequisite for the interview to continue.

The two new questions are: “Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?” and “Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning to your country of nationality?”

The directive claims that the new process is designed to cut down on what the department claims are people misrepresenting themselves during the visa process.