US president Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Keir Starmer, comparing him to Neville Chamberlain, while continuing to speak warmly of Boris Johnson, underlining a widening divide in how Washington views Britain’s current and former leadership.
Speaking at the White House on Easter Monday, Mr Trump delivered a pointed historical comparison, saying: “We don’t want another Neville Chamberlain, do we agree? We don’t want Neville Chamberlain.” The remark invoked the former prime minister’s strategy of appeasement, most notably the Munich Agreement, which is widely regarded as a misjudgment that failed to stop war and allowed Hitler to expand unchecked.
He was later replaced by Winston Churchill, who took a far more confrontational stance against Nazi Germany and led Britain and her allies to victory.
Trump’s intervention marks the latest escalation in tensions between the US and Keir Starmer, whose approach to international crises, particularly the conflict involving Iran, has drawn repeated criticism from Washington. The US president also warned that Britain had a “long way to go” if it wished to “resurrect” its relationship with the United States.
At the centre of the growing strain is Keir’s reluctance to support US military positioning. He initially blocked the use of the Diego Garcia base on the Chagos Islands for strikes on Iran, and, according to reports, has continued to resist similar requests. He has also declined to deploy the Royal Navy to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, amid rising tensions with Tehran.
Critics argue that such decisions project hesitation at a moment requiring clarity, feeding perceptions in Washington that Britain is no longer acting with the decisiveness expected of a leading ally. Mr Trump himself has previously remarked that Sir Keir is “not Winston Churchill,” contrasting him unfavourably with the wartime leader who succeeded Chamberlain.
Despite these tensions, sources suggest efforts are underway behind the scenes to steady the relationship. Notably, Boris Johnson has remained an influential figure in transatlantic diplomacy. While many figures on the British Right welcomed invitations to Mr Trump’s inauguration, it was Mr Johnson who secured a prominent place in the Capitol’s rotunda, seated among senior figures and close to the Trump family.
Mr Johnson is also understood to have personally engaged Mr Trump on key geopolitical issues, including the Chagos Islands and the war in Ukraine. According to sources, he has sought to smooth relations between Washington and London, emphasising that it is Britain as a whole, not merely its current leadership, that risks being affected by deteriorating ties.
Mr Trump’s continued admiration for Mr Johnson is well documented. He has repeatedly praised the former prime minister’s leadership style and decisiveness, viewing him as a figure who understood the importance of a strong Anglo-American partnership.
By contrast, Sir Keir has struggled to win similar confidence.
The prime minister, for his part, has defended his approach, insisting he will act in what he describes as the national interest. “Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I’m going to act in the British national interest in the decisions that I make,” he said last week.
However, with tensions continuing to rise and Washington signalling dissatisfaction, questions are growing over whether the current government can maintain the strength of the historic UK–US alliance, particularly when figures like Boris Johnson continue to command significant goodwill across the Atlantic.
