Trump Comeback Traps UK’s Starmer in Awkward Relationship
- Labour politicians criticized president-elect in previous term
- Trump called Starmer ‘left-wing’ in calls with British allies
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Donald Trump has repeatedly told associates in Britain he thinks the country’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer is “very left-wing,” underscoring how traditionally close relations between the US and UK are likely to be strained by the Republican president-elect’s victory on Tuesday.
The remarks casting shade on Starmer’s politics came in private conversations over recent months, people familiar with the matter said, when the UK leader — who led his Labour Party to power in July — was contending with far-right riots and a lingering online spat with billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk. Trump also echoed some of Musk’s vitriolic criticism of Starmer, they said.