In a bombshell interview that has sent shockwaves through Westminster, former US President Donald Trump has delivered a humiliating broadside against Britain's new Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, while raising serious questions about Labour heavyweight Peter Mandelson's associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A Scathing Verdict on Starmer's Britain
Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump did not mince words when assessing the new Labour government's initial performance. "He's going to be a disaster," Trump declared, branding the Prime Minister as "not a good guy." The ex-President's brutal assessment centres on Starmer's stance on immigration, which Trump claims will trigger a massive surge, making the UK a "beacon for the world."
This very public dressing-down from a figure who could potentially return to the White House poses a significant diplomatic and PR challenge for Starmer, who is attempting to establish his credibility on the world stage.
The Mandelson-Epstein Connection Questioned
Perhaps more damagingly, Trump turned his fire on Labour's influential behind-the-scenes figure, Peter Mandelson. The ex-President pointedly questioned the nature of Mandelson's relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
"He was a friend of Jeffrey Epstein?" Trump asked during the interview, directly referencing Mandelson's well-documented visits to Epstein's notorious Caribbean island and his London residence. This public airing of a long-rumoured connection forces an uncomfortable spotlight onto one of the Labour Party's most powerful strategists.
Embarrassment for a New Government
The timing of Trump's intervention could hardly be worse for Sir Keir Starmer. Fresh from a landslide electoral victory, the Prime Minister is in a crucial period of establishing his authority both domestically and internationally. To be so publicly criticised and linked to a scandal involving a senior party figure by a former—and possibly future—US President represents a severe early test.
This episode threatens to overshadow the government's messaging and raises awkward questions about the company kept by those in its upper echelons. For a party that campaigned on a platform of integrity and change, the lingering shadow of the Epstein scandal is deeply unwelcome.
As the new Labour government grapples with this very public relations crisis, all eyes will be on how—or if—Number 10 chooses to respond to one of the world's most contentious and influential political figures.
