LONDON — U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to unpick America’s trade deal with the U.K. amid increasing frustration over Britain’s opposition to military action against Iran.
In an interview on Wednesday, the president said America had given the U.K. a “good trade deal” that was “better than I had to,” adding that it could “always be changed.”
His comments to Sky News come as tempers flare in Washington over the U.K.’s stance on Iran, with Trump also turning his criticism towards Prime Minister Keir Starmer — casting fresh doubt on the strength of the so-called “special relationship.”
Asked about the relationship, Trump did not hold back. “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.”
The U.S. president’s threat will sound alarm bells through Westminster 11 months after the U.K. became the first country to sign a trade deal with the U.S., which saw U.S. agree to lower tariffs on British automotives, steel and aerospace in exchange for beef and bioethanol access.
As the first anniversary of the deal approaches, U.S. tariffs on British steel have still not been fully removed, while the future of the Technology Prosperity Deal negotiated during Trump’s state visit to the U.K. in September hangs in the balance amid concern over the pace of wider trade negotiations.
The U.S. president, whose “drill, baby drill” mantra has defined his energy policy, also used the interview to sound off about the U.K.’s decision to cut back on new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
“I think he [Starmer] has made a tragic mistake in closing the North Sea oil,” the president said. “You see your energy prices are the highest in the world.”
Trump’s comments are awkwardly timed ahead of King Charles III’s planned state visit to the U.S. later this month.
Despite his growing anger towards the U.K. government, Trump was full of warm words for the monarch, describing the king as a “great gentleman” and a “friend.”
