Overview
- The clip from a private Easter lunch, which the White House briefly posted then deleted, spread online Friday and drew swift pushback in London.
- In the footage, Trump mimics the prime minister and says he asked Britain to send “two, old broken-down aircraft carriers” toward the Gulf.
- Downing Street officials dispute that any US request for carriers was made and say the UK did not offer them, contradicting Trump's story.
- Trump also mocks France’s Emmanuel Macron and labels NATO a “paper tiger,” statements that raised new questions about allied cohesion during the Iran conflict.
- Starmer calls the remarks “quite rude” and says he will act in the UK’s national interest, as reports warn the relationship is badly strained and suggest London may lean more on partners such as Canada, Australia, and Europe.
- The row unfolds as US‑Israeli strikes on Iran since February 28 and Iran’s choke on the Strait of Hormuz roil shipping, with the UK deploying a Rapid Sentry air-defense unit to Kuwait and exploring ways to protect vessels over the longer term.