‘Masterclass’ by a ‘Headmaster’; CNN, MS NOW Cheer Anti-Trump Jabs in King’s Speech

Curtis Houck
April 28th, 2026 7:06 PM

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On Tuesday afternoon, CNN and MS NOW swooned over King Charles III’s speech to a Joint Session of Congress, choosing not to focus on the historical lessons and shared values that kept the West alive (although its current state is debatable), but on the moments regarding climate change, checks and balances, NATO, and Ukraine to name a few the left has declared outright jabs at President Trump.

The two networks trumpeted Charles as a “headmaster” delivering an “extremely political” but “vivid” “masterclass” with a set of values “in complete opposition” that were “batted for” embattled Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

CNN led the way in its proverbial weak knees over the moments Charles III seemed to be voicing disagreement with President Trump.

The Lead and State of the Union host Jake Tapper — a virulent Trump hater — almost immediately remarked afterward: “[T]here were some items in that speech that I think it’s fair to say were included that, you know, are — I wouldn’t call them zingers against President Trump — but points of disagreement.”

Political director David Chalian gushed Charles “did not hide from” the anti-Trump jabs “at all” and instead gave “a speech that was putting democratic values, the rule of law, the power of alliances, even a specific on the support of Ukraine’s defense” on display “in complete opposition” to the White House.

“King Charles doesn’t come in here itching for a fight on it...It’s not that he was trying to get in a fight with President Trump, but he couldn’t have seized the opportunity more to really stand clear on the importance of these things with a value system underneath it that is in contrast to a lot of what Donald Trump has been presenting on the world stage as it comes to these alliances,” he gleefully added.

CNN special correspondent and Swamp denizen Jamie Gangel focused on the nods to one of the King’s passions, climate change.

Always ready to get his juices flowing by making everything about attacking Trump, Tapper went to CNN International host and chief Royal correspondent Max Foster by highlighting past comments Trump has made about the state of the British military (click the X post to see the full transcript):

CNN royal historian Kate Williams offered reaction from back in the U.K. that “many commentators have been surprised by King Charles’s speech because, for a monarch, this was an extremely political speech” and how much he implicitly defended Starmer:

Later, international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson closed out the special coverage by concurring with Williams that the King gave a “very political speech...getting to his core issues, be it on the climate, be it on democracy, but also this sort of sense of shared responsibility...of what we do today affects our children” on matters such as Ukraine.

Pivoting over to MS NOW, weekday afternoon host Katy Tur declared the King “did sneak in some sharp lines for the United States, stuff that needs to be heard, he believes, right now” about isolationism and NATO

MS NOW contributor, liberal presidential historian, and former Biden speechwriter Jon Meacham was in a state of ebullience. He declared Charles III delivered a “masterclass” speech as though he were “a headmaster speak[ing] to a school...remind[ing] us of what matters, of what’s important, of what has endured, not simply because it is old, but because it is true and has been of utility.”

Meacham claimed ignorance as to “whether this smooths over immediate diplomatic relations, but I do know that read even not even particularly carefully here” as “a king reminding a democracy and a republic of what matters.”

The woke historian continued to spin his valentine for the King’s “elegant,” “thoughtful,” and “vivid...warning and inspiration” to reject “a populist, isolationist, nationalistic moment.” In other words, Meacham claimed the King called on Americans to reject Trump and his movement (click “expand”):

He said, our words matter. Our deeds matter. As you pointed out, don’t look inward. Remember that there are checks on executive power. Note the climate. This is a kind of masterclass in how a non — how — how someone not tied to the minute-to-minute political realities, popular politics — this is what this thoughtful man believes is important across the Atlantic. And I think that it’s a vivid and elegant in many ways, warning and inspiration as well, about not losing ourselves in a populist, isolationist, nationalistic moment. One final point here. There’s a difference between nationalism and patriotism, alright? Nationalism is an allegiance to your own kind. Patriotism is an allegiance to a creed. And he very — the King very deftly laid out the roots of the American creed, which is comes grows out of both a biblical understanding of human equality and also came through the British Isles. Magna Carta, the Declaration of Rights in 1688 and 89 informed what happened here in the late 18th century. And what we can’t do is lose that in the 21st. And I think that was his central warning, is that this is perilous. These things are fragile, and they require our attention.

Newsweek’s Jack Royston said “this very speech was written to reflect Britain’s strategic priorities” “batt[ing] for Keir Starmer” including “seven or eight points that Charles has wandered into that are potential zones of conflict with Trump,” such as Europe, NATO, Ukraine, Iran, Trump’s tough rhetoric, and a suspended tech trade deal to name a few.

Tur’s second post-speech block concerned the Magna Carta as she and New York Times correspondent/Resistance keyboard warrior Peter Baker marveled at Republicans cheering the ancient document:

Baker boasted “it’s rather striking to have a King remind us of what democracy is all about, but that’s what he was doing, and I think, of course, it’s only read in the context of today, a moment when the question of executive power and whether there are in fact, checks and balances on it, is so animating our — our national conversation right now.”

Tur finally went to former longtime BBC journalist Jon Sopel 

Over on the broadcast network side, NBC covered it in a Special Report. Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas observed there was “a maybe not-so-subtle message” to President Trump “when he said ‘America’s words carry weight and meaning and they have since the independence the actions of this great nation matter even more.’”

Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles agreed, saying “I don’t see how you could not interpret it as such,” and that those lines drew “hush, almost gasp you would describe from the Democratic side,” so it “clearly resonated” with them:

“And there were multiple opportunities for him to use his subtle nature to drive home a point,” Nobles continued.

ABC also broke in as well and, surprisingly, they didn’t wade in the same waters as the others did in celebrating the progressive moments. These excerpts were the closest they came to punditry, but even this was simply restating back what he told Congress (click “expand”):

DAVID MUIR: The King did not shy away from some heavy issues. At one point in the speech, talking about how leadership of this country and back home leadership, not above the law, not should always be subject to questions referencing the Magna Carta, the foundation of law, and pointing out that the Supreme Court over many decades has pointed back to the early findings and words of Magna Carta, talking about how power should be held to account. He talked about the war in Ukraine and about NATO’s influence in the world, and that just as NATO was there for the United States after 9/11, that we must be there to support Ukraine through this conflict with Russia. He talked about climate, the natural wonders of the United States as we approach this 250th birthday, saying they are not just the natural wonders, they are also the foundation that allows us to have an economy and to have prosperity, and that they too must be protected.

(....)
    
MUIR: [A]gain, taking note there of the room, the bipartisan support for the King, the standing ovations, even with him addressing some of the some of the most challenging issues of these times.

JAMES LONGMAN: Yeah, David, I think it goes to show it’s not what you say. It’s often how you say it. And the message that Charles gave, it’s been received there in the sort of sense of unity. But I mean, he did not shy away from some pretty pointed messages. I mean, talking about the importance of NATO, the fact that it was the United States that triggered Article V after 9/11. I recall Donald Trump denigrating allied veterans, joking about how they didn’t perhaps fight as hard. That was a British veiled reference to that. On Ukraine, we know that this is a divisive issue in the United States. Support for Ukraine is falling away. He was clear Ukraine needs to be supported. He — he quoted the prime minister, Keir Starmer, the man that Donald Trump has spent months denigrating — he actually just used the same words. The British government put the prime minister’s words in the King’s mouth to repeat. To say that this is an indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last 80 years. The King showed today what monarchy can do[.]

To see the relevant transcripts from April 28, click here (for ABC), here (for CNN), here (for MS NOW), and here (for NBC).

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