Starmer makes surprising two-word admission before Trump call | UK | News
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone this evening, just hours after Trump said the UK leader was “not Churchill”.
Sources described the meeting, which lasted about 20 minutes, as constructive. Trump’s remarks came hours after the Truth Social founder rebroadcast a Saturday Night Live UK comedy sketch mocking him and Starmer in an imaginary phone call, noting that Starmer was “a nice guy with a nice family” but “wasn’t producing”.
Trump’s comments came after Starmer hit back, telling ITV News’ Robert Peston: “I’m tired of families across the country having their energy bills go up and down, businesses’ energy bills going up and down, and families across the country saying to businesses across the country, ‘We’ve got to be, we’ve got to put up with being in the international market’ because of Putin’s or Trump’s actions around the world.”
Earlier, when a journalist asked Trump if his relationship with Britain or Starmer had changed, he replied: “No, I’m disappointed because Keir was willing to send two aircraft carriers after we won, because actually we, there’s no threat to the aircraft carriers at the moment and they said no, no, we want things to be sent before the war, not after the war is won.”
“So yeah, I’m disappointed in him. I love him. I think he’s a good guy, but I’m disappointed,” Trump added.
Trump then said: “See that guy over there?” Trump asked, pointing to a painting. “Do you know who you are? Churchill, Winston Churchill, the late, great Winston Churchill. And unfortunately you know Keir is not Winston Churchill.”
“We have a tremendous long-term relationship with the UK. I mean, people say it’s the best. I don’t want to get into that but we’ve had it, it was the longest, it was the oldest, it had to be the best, it was always the best until Keir came along and now I love him, he’s a good guy, he says all the nice things, a lot.”
He concluded: “He’s a good man with a nice family, everything is perfect, but he doesn’t produce.”
The two had a phone conversation hours later. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister met with President Trump from Qatar this evening.
“The Prime Minister has begun discussions with Gulf leaders and military planners in the region about the need to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the UK’s efforts to bring partners together to agree a workable plan.
“They agreed that now that the ceasefire is in place and an agreement has been reached to open the Bosphorus, we are in the next phase of finding a solution. “The leaders discussed the need for a practical plan to reactivate shipping as quickly as possible.
“They decided to talk again soon after.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has publicly told the media that Starmer is no Churchill.
In early March, Trump branded Britain “uncooperative” and dismissed Starmer as “no Winston Churchill” after the Prime Minister initially rejected a US request to deploy UK bases for attacks on Iran.
Starmer later confirmed that American aircraft could use bases in Britain and the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to target Iranian missile systems that threaten British allies in the Middle East.
Trump remains disgruntled, and Starmer anxiously awaits whether the president’s anger will have any impact on trans-Atlantic relations and trade negotiations.
The Labor leader had developed surprisingly warm relations with Trump since the president returned to the White House in 2025, but tensions between the two had risen steadily in recent months.
Trump’s ambition to seize Greenland was roundly condemned by Starmer and other European leaders earlier this year.
