Will Donald Trump and Keir Starmer form an unlikely political alliance, or will their obvious differences get in the way? Despite Trump’s praise for the UK PM, tensions are rising elsewhere, with Elon Musk throwing shade on Starmer’s leadership. What do you think?
Will Donald Trump and Keir Starmer actually get along?
The new US president has been pretty complimentary about our PM, saying he’s done a “very good job thus far.”
By all accounts, the two get on well, even though – as Trump put it – Starmer’s “liberal, which is a bit different from me.” Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he planned to have a phone call with Starmer “over the next 24 hours.”
But while Trump seems to be all praise for Starmer, it’s not exactly the same story from Elon Musk, who’s got some choice words for the PM. Musk’s been using his platform on X (formerly Twitter) to launch some pretty pointed criticism, even supporting calls for the King to dissolve Parliament and call another election.
Downing Street’s been careful not to criticise Trump publicly, even after some of his more unconventional decisions, like pulling out of the Paris climate accords and the World Health Organisation. Trump himself has made it clear that he likes Starmer, despite their political differences: “I think he’s a very good person and I think he’s done a very good job thus far,” he says.
As for Trump’s travel plans, he’s considering making the UK his first international stop for his second term. He’s also hinted at possibly heading to Saudi Arabia, but the UK’s always a traditional choice.
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The two world leaders last met for a dinner at Trump Tower in New York during the presidential campaign, and even had a phone chat post-election, where they agreed the UK-US relationship was “incredibly strong” and would “continue to thrive.”
And while Starmer is expected to head to Washington soon, there are whispers that other populist leaders like Italy’s Giorgia Meloni or Hungary’s Viktor Orban might steal the spotlight with earlier visits.
Theresa May was the first foreign leader to meet Mr Trump in his first term in 2017. But the visit turned into a headache for the-then PM when Mr Trump made global headlines by grabbing her hand as they walked through the White House.
So what do you think? Will Trump and Starmer actually build a strong relationship, or will things get a bit … complicated? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts!
