Donald Trump’s concluded state visit to the United Kingdom ended with a combative press conference with counterpart Keir Starmer. He gave glowing reviews of the British royalty and seemed to never miss an opportunity to declare his love for the country. The intense two-day visit was capped off by a wide-ranging hour-long press conference. It was the epitome of pomp and circumstance, which had the effect of underscoring Trump’s profound love of all things UK.
During the press conference, Trump acknowledged the honor of the visit, stating, “We’re grateful beyond words for the spectacular honour of the state visit yesterday at Windsor Castle, hosted by His Majesty King Charles and Her Majesty Queen Camilla.” He praised the new royal couple as “these two fantastic people” and called the UK—these beautiful, magnificent isles—“home.”
On his first visit to the UK, President Trump praised her majesty and the royal family. He published his tips for defeating the small boat crisis plaguing the UK. He stated, “I told the prime minister I would stop it. It doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use, but it destroys countries from within.” The comment is indicative of his administration’s overall, hardline approach to immigration.
Trump also took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that “The Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers.” He made sure to focus on this point during his talks with Putin on the topic of Ukraine. He called the war “the apple of my eye.” In fact, in recent weeks, Trump has very vocally positioned Russia as the aggressor in the war.
The days of the former president’s comments passed without challenge. Starmer urged Trump to push for tougher sanctions on Russia. Trump backed away from these requests, since a decrease in oil prices would mean that “Putin is going to drop out.” This statement reflects a nuanced position that contrasts with Starmer’s views on international response to Russia’s actions.
Looking back at his answers during that now-infamous press conference, it’s perhaps not surprising that he would try to deflect like this onto Putin. When asked what defenders of free speech should do in Britain, he evaded the question. This was significant in light of the recent arrests for social media posts. Instead, his attention quickly turned back to Putin, particularly with respect to what he thinks of the Russian military and their continuing war on Ukraine.
One notable moment during the press conference involved Trump dismissing a question about Peter Mandelson, claiming he had never met him despite their past encounters. This exchange triggered considerable interest among political watchers in Trump’s entertainingly poor recollection of major political players.
Trump’s criticism of Biden reappeared during the conference too. And he referred to Biden as “never the brightest bulb on the ceiling.” And he really shamed late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, saying that he was “not a talented person.” These comments are consistent with Trump’s long-running attack on his political rivals.