Footage has emerged of Donald Trump mocking Keir Starmer, accusing the prime minister of equivocating over sending UK aircraft carriers to the Middle East. The US president made the remarks during an Easter lunch speech at the White House, in a new low for UK-US relations.
Trump claimed that when he asked Starmer to send the UK's two aircraft carriers, the prime minister replied: 'No, no, no, I have to ask my team. My team has to meet, we're meeting next week.' The president added: 'But the war already started. Next week the war's going to be over … in three days.'
However, Whitehall sources said Trump had never asked the UK for the vessels and Britain had not offered them. The remarks were made at a lunch not open to the press; the White House released footage on a social media channel but later deleted it. It was downloaded and republished by a Business Insider reporter.
During the lunch, Trump also mocked Emmanuel Macron, saying the French president was 'still recovering from the right to the jaw' and claimed that Macron's wife, Brigitte, 'treats him extremely badly'. Trump has repeatedly criticised the UK over its refusal to authorise use of military bases for initial strikes on Iran and the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Starmer has not retaliated but said he would stick to his position on the war 'whatever the pressure and the noise'. He told parliament's liaison committee: 'I am utterly focused on what is in the best interests of our country and I am unapologetic about that. I am the British prime minister and my job is to be absolutely focused on what is in the British national interest.'
