Trump says Keir Starmer doing 'very good job'

U.S. President Donald Trump, aboard Air Force One, stated that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has "done a very good job so far," and that the two maintain a "very good relationship." In an interview with the BBC, Trump revealed that he would be speaking with Starmer "within the next 24 hours."

Trump and Labour leader Starmer have met several times, including during Starmer's visit to Trump Tower in New York during the presidential campaign. Trump commented on Starmer, saying, "I get along with him very well, I like him. Although his political stance is more liberal, which is different from mine, I think he is a very good person and has done an excellent job so far. He represents the political ideals of his country." Trump added, "I may not agree with his political ideas, but I maintain a very good relationship with him."

Trump made the above remarks during a visit to the press room on the presidential plane on Saturday. After answering a question about where his first international trip might be during his second term, he was asked about his relationship with Starmer. Trump stated, "It could be Saudi Arabia, or it could be the UK. Traditionally, it might be the UK. Last time I went to Saudi Arabia because they agreed to buy $450 billion worth of American goods." Starmer and Trump had a phone call after Trump's re-election last November, with Downing Street stating at the time that both believed the UK-US relationship was "very strong" and would "continue to flourish."

Last week, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that Starmer would visit Washington to meet with Trump "in the coming weeks." However, the relationship between the two countries faces some diplomatic challenges, including Trump's pledge to implement trade tariffs and reduce U.S. support for Ukraine. Furthermore, it is unclear whether Trump will agree to the UK's proposal regarding the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, where there is a joint US-UK military base, although the UK has indicated it will give the new US administration an opportunity to "consider" the agreement. There are also questions about whether Trump would accept Starmer's nomination of former Labour minister Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to Washington.

Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk (a presidential advisor) criticized Starmer on social media platform X, accusing him of being "deeply involved in mass rape for votes" in a sex grooming gang scandal. In response, Starmer, who served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, accused critics of "spreading lies and misinformation" and stated that he "dealt with" the relevant prosecutions "head-on." Lammy described his past criticisms of the president as a backbench MP as "old news." In 2018, he had described Trump as a "tyrant" and a "misogynistic, neo-Nazi sympathizing sociopath," but the Foreign Secretary later dined with Trump alongside the Prime Minister.