Donald Trump has urged the UK to “call out the military” to control its borders, warning that illegal migration could destroy the country. The US president ended his second state visit with the stark message as he and Sir Keir Starmer held tightly controlled talks at Chequers.
During the visit, Starmer avoided several potential flashpoints, including questions about Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump dismissed the matter, saying “I don’t know him”, despite having met Mandelson previously. The UK is preparing to formally recognise a Palestinian state as early as Friday, a move Trump described as “one of our few disagreements”.
Trump told the prime minister to follow the US example in taking tough action on migrants. The first deportation of a Channel migrant to France took place on Thursday under Starmer’s “one in, one out” deal, with further flights expected. Some Labour MPs have suggested sending the Royal Navy to prevent small boat crossings.
On Ukraine, Trump said Vladimir Putin had “really let me down”, a significant shift in tone welcomed by British officials. The president also praised Starmer’s efforts in building a close relationship, which Downing Street said helped secure £150bn of promised US investment in the UK.
