UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suffered a significant embarrassment on live television as US President Donald Trump seemingly ignored him during the G7 summit in Evian, France. Footage broadcast by GB News captured Trump greeting other world leaders while Starmer stood beside him with a forced smile, appearing entirely overlooked.
Live TV Snub
The G7 summit brings together leaders from the world's seven most powerful economies: the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, and Italy. Clips labeled as "Breaking News" showed Starmer positioned awkwardly next to Trump, who enthusiastically engaged with others but failed to acknowledge the British prime minister. A GB News correspondent narrated: "The US president brutally blanked the prime minister, as you can see on your screens now. What's this brutal smackdown reminiscent of lonely Theresa May at the 2016 Brexit summit's rejection? What's this Sir Keir Starmer's final humiliation?"
Ironically, while the segment aired, a banner read: "PM insists he 'gets on really well' with the President despite no one-to-one meeting."
Starmer's Response
Despite the apparent snub, Starmer rejected claims that he was overlooked, emphasizing that no private bilateral meeting was scheduled. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said: "I sat next to Donald Trump for two hours last night at dinner, which was just the G7 leaders. There were no listening rooms, there were no staff, no advisers. It was literally an opportunity for all of us to have a very honest and frank conversation."
He added: "I actually spoke to Donald on Saturday before we came. We get on really well and I've been with him now, Saturday on the phone and last night and this morning. We're sitting next to each other so there's lots of room for side conversations in the margins."
Political Tensions
Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with leaders from other nations, including the UAE, Qatar, and India. Starmer has faced sustained criticism from Trump over his stance on the Iran war, with Starmer insisting he is "not going to yield." The US president also attacked the UK government's agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, as he wanted to use the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia for strikes on Iran.
Earlier this year, Trump targeted Starmer by suggesting he was not dealing with Winston Churchill, further straining relations between the two leaders.
