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The BBC had a nearly five-minute phone interview with Donald Trump about the Iran war and the special relationship with the UK.
12:53, Fri, Apr 24, 2026 Updated: 12:58, Fri, Apr 24, 2026
The BBC had a nearly five-minute phone interview with Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
A BBC journalist was left surprised after phoning the US President for a phone call interview in which they discussed the war in Iran and the state of the so-called special relationship between his country and the UK.
"I just spoke to Donald Trump on the phone," the BBC's North America editor, Sarah Smith said.
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The Scottish radio and TV journalist added she was shocked in the manner he answered his call.
She said: "I just rang his number, and he answered it himself, saying 'hello'."
This comes after recent reports that Mr Trump is answering cold calls - and it is actually incredibly easy to get his mobile number.
Donald Trump himself picked up the phone to the BBC's North America editor Sarah Smith (Image: X/ Sarah Smith)
Since he began ordering strikes on Iran, there have been regular social media posts boasting "exclusive" interviews with the US president. According to The Times, his personal number has become widely circulated among journalists and political figures in Washington, making it surprisingly easy for reporters to call him directly, and he often answers, offering off-the-cuff comments that can quickly become headlines.
Since the start of the war in late February, Mr Trump has reportedly picked up the phone to more than 30 journalists, including the BBC. He has reportedly kept the same number from his first term as president and before, in spite of being warned that Chinese intelligence likely had the ability to intercept his calls.
“You get one question - make sure it’s one he’s itching to answer,” one journalist advised. “Or ask him about someone who’s annoying him.”
The White House has pointed to Mr Trump’s phone presence as further evidence that he is the “most transparent and accessible president in history” after years in which his predecessor, Joe Biden, rarely spoke to the press.
In her nearly five-minute interview with Mr Trump, Ms Smith, who joined the BBC in 2014, asked the US President about the war in Iran and the state of the so-called special relationship with the UK.
"The first thing I asked him was whether the King's visit to Washington next week can help repair the currently difficult relationship with the United Kingdom," Ms Smith said.
"Mr Trump said 'Absolutely, the answer is yes. He's a great man, a brave man, and he and the Queen will absolutely be a positive.'"
She then asked him about a recent social media post, in which he said that Sir Keir Starmer still has "time to recover" and what he meant by that: "He said, 'if the Prime Minister opens the North Sea for oil drilling and strengthens his immigration policies, he can recover. But, if he does not do that,' he said, 'I don't think he has a chance.'
"Donald Trump is angry that the UK didn't offer more assistance with his war on Iran," Ms Smith added.
"He said to me on the phone that he didn't need help from the UK, but Britain should have been there, and it was a test to see whether or not the country would get involved."
She then asked him about his threat to "destroy an entire civilisation in Iran," and whether this was a threat to use nuclear weapons, to which the US President responded: "The other side is dying to make a deal, so whatever I'm saying, whatever I'm doing it seems to be working well".
"With that, he said 'thank you,' and ended the call."
English (US) · 