Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with former US President Donald Trump for the first time over a two-hour dinner at Trump Tower in New York on September 26. Starmer was accompanied by Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The prime minister visited Trump Tower in New York as he visited the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, ahead of the US election set to be held in November.
Reflecting on the meeting, Starmer emphasised the importance of personal relationships in international diplomacy. “It’s good to have the opportunity to meet Trump”, he said, noting that the purpose was “really to establish a relationship” between the two leaders. The discussion focused on the “longstanding friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States” and the importance of maintaining their strong partnership, according to an official UK government statement. Before the dinner, Starmer had expressed his intention to meet with both US presidential candidates.
He reiterated his desire to meet Vice President Kamala Harris, citing “diary challenges” as the reason for the delay. Starmer emphasised the value of face-to-face meetings with international counterparts, stating, “I think it really matters that you know who your counterpart is in any given country”. The meeting came after Trump delivered a press conference in which he criticised his opponent, Harris, for what he described as a “mass invasion” of illegal immigrants into the US He also suggested Harris's approach to Russia's war in Ukraine amounted to surrender.
Asked whether a Trump presidency could leave Ukraine vulnerable, Starmer avoided speculation, stating, “The special relationship between the UK and US always sits above whoever holds the particular office”. Starmer downplayed concerns about how a Trump presidency could affect the UK's position on the global stage, saying, “The US people will decide who they want as their president, and we will work with whoever is president”. He added, “I'm not going to speculate on what any particular issues may be on the other side of the election”.
In a rare moment of public praise, Trump described Starmer as “very nice” and acknowledged the Labour Party’s success in the July election. “He ran a great race, he did very well. It’s very early, but he is popular”, Trump remarked. Trump also praised Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, calling him "great" and commenting on the party’s performance in recent elections.
However, Trump’s understanding of the UK electoral system appeared flawed, as he suggested Farage was unfairly denied seats, misunderstanding the UK's first-past-the-post system. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who attended the meeting, has previously been outspoken in his criticism of Trump, once referring to him as a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath.” Starmer himself had criticized Trump on multiple occasions, notably in 2019 when he condemned Trump’s endorsement of Boris Johnson. Ahead of the meeting with Trump, Starmer addressed the UN General Assembly, where he stressed the importance of Britain adopting a less paternalistic approach in international relations, advocating for listening more and speaking less.