2 hours ago
1
It comes as Donald Trump, in an interview, said Sir Keir Starmer "sometimes doesn't do things that he should be doing".
17:49, Thu, Mar 5, 2026 Updated: 17:54, Thu, Mar 5, 2026
There is a growing rift between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
Amid a growing UK-US rift, reports claim Donald Trump has described Sir Keir Starmer as a “loser” in conversations with friends. The American President reportedly made the comment at a recent private dinner.
It comes as tensions between Washington and London rise over the UK’s support during the Iran war. Mr Trump said he was “very disappointed” that the PM initially blocked the US from using British military bases to target Iran. On Sunday, Sir Keir decided to allow the US to use Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites to protect neighbouring countries from being targeted by Tehran.
The PM has attempted to downplay concerns the UK-US 'special relationship' has been weakened (Image: Getty)
Mr Trump said he was “not happy with the UK” over the original decision and in a personal attack on Sir Keir, told reporters in the Oval Office: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
It appears Mr Trump has also been very critical of the Labour leader privately with the alleged “loser” comment.
A source told The Telegraph: “Trump has started calling Starmer a loser. He said it at a dinner with friends. He just thinks Starmer has no future any more.”
*** Ensure our latest politics headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***
Mr Trump is known to describe political opponents, including senior Democrats, as “losers”, the newspaper reported.
The PM and the US President previously appeared to have a solid relationship, despite Mr Trump’s criticism of immigration and energy policies, as well as repeated swipes at Labour’s Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan.
Relations between Downing Street and the White House first appeared to sour in January when Mr Trump slammed the deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Mr Trump called the move an “act of great stupidity” and last month called on it to be scrapped, despite previously expressing support.
The President told The Sun earlier this week that the UK-US so-called special relationship is “obviously not what it was”.
However, Sir Keir has sought to downplay this, telling journalists it is “in operation right now” by allowing US forces to use British bases to strike Iran.
The latest news from around the world Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Speaking to the New York Post on Thursday, Mr Trump said the PM “should be giving us, without question or hesitation, things like bases where we can use others.”.
He added that “I get along with him fine” but “he sometimes doesn’t do things that he should be doing”.
English (US) · 