Trump launches new attack on Starmer as taoiseach defends PM

WorldPolitics
18 Mar 2026 • 12:34 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • President Donald Trump has lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer again, insisting the UK-US relationship was “the best” until Starmer came to power.
  • “We have a tremendous long-term relationship with the UK. I mean, people would say it's the best,” Trump said at a White House meeting with Irish taoiseach Micheal Martin.
  • “We've had the longest, the oldest - and should be the best. Always was the best until Keir came along. I like him ... he's a nice man with a beautiful family, everything's perfect - but he doesn't produce.”
  • Trump added: “I just said, ‘You don't have to send me aircraft carriers. Send me a couple of minesweepers. We don't need your aircraft carriers. But even the aircraft carriers, you would only send them after we essentially won’.”
  • Trump repeated his jibe that the prime minister “is no Winston Churchill” but Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin rushed to Starmer’s defense, saying he had done a lot to reset the UK-Irish relationship.

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