PM Keir Starmer echoed the moves made by French president Emmanuel Macron when he visited the White House just a few days ago, as the UK and US meet for bilateral crunch talks
Keir Starmer corrects Donald Trump over money claim
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was seen correcting another false statement from Donald Trump in an incredible ‘actually’ moment.
The PM echoed the moves made by French president Emmanuel Macron when he visited the White House just a few days ago. Trump blasted: “In Europe, they get their money back by giving money. We don’t get the money back – Biden made a deal over $351billion and I thought it was a very unfair situation.”
But Sir Keir interrupted the president to correct him, saying “We’re not getting ours… quite a bit of ours was gifted, was given… there were some loans but it was mostly gifted, actually.”
During the meeting at the Oval Office, Keir Starmer has said the alliance between the US and the UK was “the greatest alliance for prosperity and security … the world has ever seen”. Turning to the Prime Minster, President Donald Trump said: “You have done very well over the years, haven’t you?” Sir Keir replied: “We have, I’m very proud of our country – but we’ve also always been there backing each other up.
“That is why this is the greatest alliance for prosperity and security, I think, the world has ever seen. Whenever necessary, we’ve absolutely backed each other up.” Mr Trump then asked: “Could you take on Russia by yourselves?” Sir Keir smiled and said: “Well…”
The PM also cut in when JD Vance was talking abput free speech. The Vice President said: “We do have of course a special relationship with our friends in the UK and also our European allies, but we also know there have been infringements on free speech that affect not just the British – what the British do in their own country is up to them – but also affect American technology companies and by extension, American citizens. So that’s something we will talk about at lunch.”
But Starmer quickly interjected, saying: “We’ve had free speech for a very long time, it will last a long time, and we are very proud of that”. Asked if he does not agree, he said: “No. I mean, I certainly we wouldn’t want to reach across the US and we don’t and that’s absolutely right. In relation to free speech in the UK. I’m very proud of our history there.”
French President Emmanuel Macron fact-checked the same claim during a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday, placing his hand on Mr Trump’s arm during the intervention. Cabinet minister Steve Reed was asked by reporters earlier today if Sir Keir would follow in Mr Macron’s footsteps and correct the US president in real-time if he says things that are not true, and suggested he would not.
Mr Reed told a press gallery lunch in parliament: “I don’t think it is for the prime minister on any visit to be fact checking, as you put it, his host… It’s for the British Prime Minister to advocate for the interest of the United Kingdom in a way that is most likely to secure the outcomes that we want.”
