PM and Trump keen to showcase ‘tremendous relationship’ during crunch talks
The US President said Sir Keir had ‘earned whatever the hell they pay him’ when asked about tariffs.
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump appeared keen to showcase their “tremendous relationship” during their crunch talks at the White House – as the US president praised the Prime Minister as a “tough negotiator”.
The pair seemed keen to emphasise their warm feelings for each other, with Mr Trump saying Sir Keir had “earned whatever the hell they pay him” during their discussions on tariffs.
Their meeting began with the Prime Minister presenting Mr Trump with the King’s friendly invitation for an “unprecedented” second state visit to the UK, and Sir Keir praising the president for his “personal commitment to bring peace” in Ukraine.
Mr Trump said the UK was a “special place” and the Prime Minister was a “special man” in the Oval Office on Thursday.
He told reporters: “We’ve had a tremendous relationship and, frankly, the Prime Minister and I have met twice before, and we get along very famously, as you would say, and I look forward to it very much.”
In response, Sir Keir said thanked Mr Trump “for your hospitality and for your leadership”.
Mr Trump also said he was “very impressed” with Sir Keir’s wife Victoria, who he described as a “beautiful, great woman”.
The president added: “And I said, ‘you’re very lucky’. He’s very lucky.”
At a press conference in the East room following their discussions, Mr Trump hailed the Prime Minister as a “tough negotiator”.
He said: “Today it’s my privilege to welcome the Prime Minister of a very special place, the United Kingdom, to the White House.
“Prime Minister Starmer, you’ve been terrific in our discussions. You’re a very tough negotiator, however, I’m not sure I like that, but that’s okay.”
He added: “The Prime Minister and I have gotten off to an outstanding start.
Asked if Sir Keir had convinced him not to impose trade tariffs on the UK, Mr Trump said: “He tried.
“He was working hard, I’ll tell you that. He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there, but he tried.
“I think there’s a very good chance that in the case of these two great, friendly countries, I think we could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn’t be necessary.
“But he earned, whatever they pay him he earned today – he was working hard at lunch and I’m very receptive to it.”
