Vice President JD Vance predicted that President Trump would make a trade deal with Britain, a country “he really loves,” a comforting sign for a British government that was stung to be placed under a 10 percent tariff by Mr. Trump.
“He admires and loves the king. It is a very important relationship,” Mr. Vance said in an interview published on Tuesday by a British news and opinion website, UnHerd, referring to King Charles III.
Mr. Vance said the White House was working closely with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain and his government. “I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries,” he said.
Mr. Vance did not go into the details of a potential deal, which are complicated and politically charged in Britain. The country is one of many lining up for talks with the United States since Mr. Trump imposed across-the-board tariffs on dozens of countries, and much larger levies on China.
A senior British official said last week that he believed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would focus initially on an agreement with Japan, the fourth-largest trading partner of the United States, after Canada, Mexico and China. The European Union has the largest trading volume with the United States overall, but it is not viewed as a priority in the same way as those other countries.
Still, Mr. Vance softened his tone toward Europe after an acrimonious stretch in which he scolded European leaders, appeared to endorse far-right parties like Alternative for Germany, or AfD, and disparaged the armed forces of Britain and France, both of which fought alongside American troops in Afghanistan.
