Trump is privately calling Starmer a ‘loser’ with no future: report
President Donald Trump has reportedly begun referring to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as “a loser” in private conversations, marking a sharp deterioration in what was once a seemingly cordial transatlantic relationship.
According to a report published on Thursday (5 March) by The Telegraph, Trump made the derogatory remark during a private dinner with friends in the past two weeks.
A source close to the discussions told the outlet: “Trump has started calling Starmer a loser. He said it at a dinner with friends. He just thinks Starmer has no future any more.”
The comment represents Trump’s most cutting assessment of Starmer yet, drawing on the president’s longstanding binary worldview that divides people into “winners” and “losers.” Trump has frequently applied the “loser” label to political adversaries, including prominent Democrats.
The shift contrasts starkly with Trump’s earlier praise of Starmer. Following Starmer’s 2024 election victory, Trump described him as “very nice,” someone who “ran a great race” and was “very popular.”
In the early months of Trump’s second term, the two leaders exchanged compliments: Trump called their relationship “very good,” praised Starmer’s “beautiful accent” and negotiating skills, and even described him as a “very tough negotiator” amid tariff threats.
As recently as July 2025, during a visit to Scotland, Trump spoke positively of Starmer’s family and said he “liked” the prime minister despite policy differences.
An escalation in tensions
Tensions escalated dramatically in recent weeks over military and diplomatic flashpoints. The primary trigger appears to be Starmer’s initial reluctance to allow the US to use UK bases, including the strategically vital Diego Garcia facility in the Chagos Islands, for strikes related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Britain initially blocked offensive operations from RAF bases, citing international law concerns, though Starmer later relented on Sunday, permitting “specific and limited defensive purposes” missions.
Trump expressed fury over the delay. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph earlier this week, he said he was “very disappointed” in Starmer, describing the Chagos sovereignty deal (under which the UK agreed to transfer control of the islands to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia) as “a very woke thing.”
He complained that Starmer “took far too long” to reverse course and that the hesitation was unprecedented in US-UK history.
At a White House press conference on Tuesday, Trump intensified his attacks, declaring Starmer “not Winston Churchill” and accusing him of ruining relationships. He also lambasted the prime minister’s immigration and energy policies as “horrible,” urged the UK to dismantle “sharia courts,” and pushed for expanded North Sea oil and gas drilling.
