Donald Trump has urged Sir Keir Starmer to emulate the diplomatic approach of King Charles III, declaring that the prime minister would “do a lot better” if he learned to deal in the manner of the monarch. The US president’s remarks, made during an interview with Sky News on the final day of the King’s state visit, came alongside a blistering critique of Starmer’s domestic record, particularly on immigration and energy policy.
‘Tragic mistakes’ on immigration and energy
Asked whether the King’s speech to Congress could heal the strained relationship between the White House and Downing Street, Trump declined to give a direct answer. “I can’t give you an answer to that,” he said. “I can tell you one thing, our relationship is very good, but you know, that’s another individual. We’ll find out. But I like Keir Starmer very much, but I think he’s made a tragic mistake on immigration and a tragic mistake on energy.”
The president’s criticism reflects a long-standing divergence between the two leaders. Starmer’s government has outlined plans to cut net migration by raising salary thresholds and tightening skill requirements for visas, while simultaneously committing to stronger climate policies – a sharp contrast to Trump’s advocacy for increased fossil fuel production and stricter immigration controls. Trump’s comments also sit against a backdrop of transatlantic tension over the US‑Israeli war on Iran, a conflict in which the president has previously complained about insufficient support from allies, including the UK.
Trump has a history of intervening in British politics, having publicly praised and disparaged a succession of prime ministers and mayors, from Theresa May and Boris Johnson to Sadiq Khan and Jeremy Corbyn. His latest broadside, however, was delivered with a direct comparison to the King. “He’s a much different person than your prime minister,” Trump said of Charles. “Your prime minister has to learn to deal the way he deals, and he’ll do a lot better.”
The King’s ‘brilliant’ address to Congress
The King’s historic speech on Capitol Hill, only the second time a British monarch has addressed a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives – following Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 – was the centrepiece of the four-day state visit. Trump praised it effusively. “I thought he was fantastic. It was a brilliant speech. It was delivered beautifully, with that beautiful accent that he’s got. And everybody… he got a standing ovation. And I thought it was fantastic in all respects,” he said.
In his address, Charles acknowledged the recent fractiousness in UK‑US relations, telling the assembled legislators that “we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree” while pointing out that the partnership was an enduring one “born out of dispute”. He sought to put current difficulties into context, emphasising that the two nations’ defence and security ties are “hard-wired together through relationships measured not in years, but in decades”. The speech, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, drew repeated applause and standing ovations and was interpreted by some observers as a gentle rebuttal to certain Trump-era policies and rhetoric.
Farewell to a frenetic state visit
The King and Queen Camilla have now said their farewells to the president and first lady as the state visit – the first by Charles as monarch – drew to a close. The couple touched down in Washington on Monday and fulfilled a packed agenda that included tea at the White House with Mr and Mrs Trump, a garden party at the British embassy, meetings with tech moguls, a high‑profile visit to Congress and a white‑tie banquet in their honour. They also travelled to New York, where they laid flowers and paid their respects at the memorial to the thousands killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks almost 25 years ago.
As he waved off the royal couple, Trump said: “Really great people. We need more people like that in our country.” He then turned to the cameras and added: “He’s a great king. The greatest king in my book.” The visit had aimed to smooth transatlantic tensions, not least over the Iran war, and the King’s carefully calibrated speech was widely seen as an attempt to reaffirm the alliance even as political differences remain. Whether it will translate into a warmer relationship between Starmer and Trump, the president himself declined to predict.
