Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles “probably would have helped us” in Iran, in another attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Nato. The US president made the remarks during the King and Queen’s four-day state visit to New York.
Mr Trump said the monarch was a “phenomenal representative for his country” and suggested he would have differed in his approach to the conflict from Sir Keir. “The King loves his country, and he's a great king, and he's a great friend of mine. And I think if that it were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran,” he told reporters.
The president also criticised Nato, saying he was “very disappointed” after the US “asked them to do some things about Ukraine and Iran”. He praised the King as “fantastic” and added that he “would have followed the suggestions we made with respect to Ukraine”. The remarks were another veiled dig at Sir Keir, whom he has previously dismissed as “not Winston Churchill”.
Mr Trump breached protocol on Tuesday by claiming to know the King’s views, saying Charles agreed Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. The president has repeatedly condemned Nato for relying too much on the US for funding and has pressured allies to increase defence spending. He has also attacked the UK and other allies for not supporting the US-Israeli war on Iran.
In contrast with his criticism of Nato and the EU, Mr Trump has been unwavering in his flattery of the royal family. It is the second time he has claimed the King would have acted differently from the prime minister over Iran, having said as much earlier this month when the royal visit was announced.
