In an exclusive interview with Sky News on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump opened up about mounting tensions between the United States and the United Kingdom, hinting that the bilateral trade agreement reached between the two nations could be revised in the near future. The comments come after weeks of sustained criticism directed at UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who drew Trump’s backlash after refusing to join the U.S.-led military coalition against Iran alongside Israel back in late February.
When asked to assess the current state of the decades-long “special relationship” between the two allies, Trump’s response highlighted the depth of the current rift. After an initial clarifying question from the reporter, the president struck a blunt tone: “It’s the relationship where when we asked them for help, they were not there. When we needed them, they were not there. When we didn’t need them, they were not there. And they still aren’t there.”
Elaborating on the state of ties, Trump added that the relationship “has been better, but it’s sad.” He emphasized that the trade deal the U.S. extended to the UK was far more favorable than required, noting that “we gave them a good trade deal, better than I had to, which can always be changed.”
The current trade framework dates back to May of last year, when the UK became the first nation to secure a new tariff agreement with Trump following his return to the Oval Office. The deal cut import duties on key goods including automobiles, steel, and aluminium, marking a key post-Brexit economic win for the UK government.
Even as he criticized Starmer’s foreign policy choices, Trump clarified that the diplomatic tensions would not overshadow King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s upcoming state visit to the United States, scheduled for late April. The president said he has a long-standing positive relationship with the British monarch, noting that Charles is not involved in partisan political disputes between the two governments.
“I’ve known the King for a long time, and he’s not involved in that process,” Trump explained. When asked what he anticipates most from the visit, he added: “Just being with him. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s wonderful.”
Beyond disagreements over the Middle East conflict, Trump also touched on domestic policy, acknowledging that he holds personal affection for Starmer but slamming the UK government’s current immigration and energy frameworks as “insane.” For weeks, Trump has publicly attacked Starmer’s refusal to back the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran, even drawing a comparison to Britain’s iconic World War II leader earlier this month by dismissing Starmer as “no Winston Churchill.”