Footage has emerged of Donald Trump mocking Keir Starmer, claiming the Prime Minister said he would have to consult his team before deciding to send UK aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
In a new low for UK-US relations, Trump appeared to impersonate Starmer during an Easter lunch speech at the White House.
The US President said Britain should be “our best ally” but was not during the Iran war, accusing Starmer of being intransigent on the issue of sending aircraft carriers.
However, Whitehall sources said Trump had never asked Britain for the ships and Britain had not offered them.
During his speech, the President said: “I asked Britain, who should be our best man? Actually the King is coming here in two weeks, he’s a good man, King Charles.
“But they should have been our best but they weren’t our best. I said: ‘You’ve got two old broken-down aircraft carriers, do you think you could send them?’
“‘Oh, I’ll have to ask my team.’
“I said: ‘You’re the Prime Minister, you don’t have to do that.’
“‘No, no, no, I have to ask my team. My team has to meet, we’re meeting next week.’
“But the war has already started. Next week the war will end…in three days.”
The comments were made during a luncheon that was not open to the press. It was released by the White House on a social media channel but was later removed. However, it was downloaded and republished by a politics reporter from the American website Business Insider.
During the lunch, Trump also mocked Emmanuel Macron, saying the French president is “still recovering from the jaw” and claiming that Macron’s wife, Brigitte, “treats him very badly”.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Britain over its decision not to authorize the use of military bases for initial strikes on Iran, as well as its move to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Starmer has not responded, but has said he will stick to his position on the war “regardless of the pressure and noise”.
When asked about “quite rude” comments made by Trump about him in Parliament’s Liaison Committee, the Prime Minister said: “I am completely focused on what is in the best interests of our country and I make no apologies for that.
“Despite pressure coming from elsewhere, I will remain focused on what is in the British national interest.
“And whatever has been said or done has undoubtedly been said and done to put pressure on me, I have no doubt about that. I understand what’s going on. But I’m not going to waver on it.”
He added, “I am the British Prime Minister and my job is to focus entirely on what is in the British national interest. This has served me well in recent weeks and is the principle I will continue to follow as we move to make difficult decisions.”
