At the close of a whirlwind state visit to Britain, US President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence, delivering a press conference that was anything but routine. The meeting on September 18, 2025, capped Trump's historic second visit to the UK and was marked by both camaraderie and candid, sometimes stinging, advice.
Trump didn’t mince words when it came to the issue dominating British headlines: the surge of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. In a moment that dominated the next day's newspapers, he urged Starmer to "use the military to stop migrants crossing the Channel," warning that illegal migration is "going to destroy countries from within," as reported by Sky News and echoed across the Financial Times, The Guardian, and The Times. "It doesn't matter if you call out the military," Trump said, drawing on his own record at the US-Mexico border. "You have people coming in, and I told the prime minister I would stop it."
Starmer, facing questions about his government’s approach, pointed instead to concrete action: the first deportation under the UK’s new "one in, one out" migrant return deal with France had taken place that very morning. More flights were scheduled for the following days. "It’s an important step forward," Starmer insisted, suggesting that the government’s measured approach—rather than military intervention—was yielding results. According to The Guardian, further legal arrivals via a new route agreed with France were imminent.
The advice from Trump, however, was seen by many in the British press as "bullish" and even "humiliating" for the prime minister. The Daily Express splashed a photo of Trump patting Starmer on the back with the headline, "Keir given some home truths by Donald," while The Times declared, "Immigration is destroying the UK, Trump tells Starmer." Yet, for all the tough talk, both leaders emphasized the "unbreakable bond" between their countries, celebrating a newly inked £150 billion technology partnership deal. This agreement, involving major US tech firms such as Palantir and Blackstone, aims to "shape the world this century like we shaped the world in the last century," as the two leaders put it during their 45-minute press conference.
But the meeting was not without tension. Trump admitted he and Starmer disagreed on the UK’s imminent plan to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. Trump, who has previously said such a move could reward Hamas, described it as "one of the few things we disagree on." Starmer was quick to clarify that the timing of the UK’s decision had "nothing to do" with Trump’s visit and was part of a broader "plan for peace" in the Middle East. He also made clear that Hamas, designated as a terrorist group in the UK, "could play no part" in any future Palestinian state—a stance Trump welcomed with a rare gesture of warmth, reaching across the podium to pat Starmer on the back (BBC).
The leaders also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump admitted, "Vladimir Putin has really let me down," referencing the escalation of Russian attacks since a peace summit in Alaska the previous month. He confessed it was the "biggest disappointment" of his presidency not to have ended the war, believing his relationship with Putin might have made a solution easier. Starmer, for his part, condemned recent Russian missile attacks, including one that damaged the British Council building in Kyiv, and called for increased pressure on the Russian president. Both agreed on the need to support Ukraine, but Trump’s frank admission underscored the complexity and frustration surrounding the conflict.
Energy policy was another flashpoint. Trump urged the UK to fully exploit its North Sea oil and gas resources, dismissing wind power as a "very expensive joke." The UK government, meanwhile, has ruled out new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea, opting instead to focus on renewables and nuclear power. Despite these differences, Trump described Starmer as a "tough negotiator," and the technology deal was hailed as a major win for both sides, with officials touting a potential £250 billion in broader economic benefits.
No Trump press conference would be complete without a touch of personal drama. The US president reignited his long-running feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, revealing he had asked for Khan to be banned from the state banquet at Windsor Castle. "I didn't want him there," Trump said. "I think the mayor of London Khan is among the worst mayors in the world, and we have some bad ones." According to Sky News, sources close to Khan dismissed the snub, noting that the mayor had neither sought nor expected an invitation, and highlighting that London remains a "global success story" attracting record numbers of American residents.
Asked about the sacking of Lord Mandelson as Britain’s US ambassador over past links to Jeffrey Epstein, Trump distanced himself, saying, "I don’t know him," despite having been photographed shaking hands with the Labour peer in the Oval Office just months earlier. This denial, reported by The Guardian and The Daily Mail, drew raised eyebrows given Trump’s own past association with Epstein, although the president was at pains to note he had cut ties long before Epstein’s conviction.
There was even time for Trump to comment on the controversy surrounding US late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whose show was pulled from schedules after remarks about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Trump attributed the show’s suspension to "very bad ratings," calling Kimmel "not a talented person."
Throughout the press conference, Starmer attempted to strike a tone of firm pragmatism, reiterating his government’s commitment to "jealously and fiercely" protect free speech, while balancing it against the need for protections—especially for children online. Trump, for his part, sidestepped questions about free speech controversies involving his vice-president JD Vance’s criticism of European democracies, choosing instead to focus on the positive outcomes of the visit.
As the dust settled, British media were divided in their assessments. Some saw Trump’s performance as a "bullish display" that "showed who was in the driving seat," while others emphasized the diplomatic success of the visit and the boost it provided for Starmer on the world stage. Whatever one’s perspective, it was clear that the Trump-Starmer summit left a lasting impression, with big deals struck, tough words exchanged, and no shortage of headlines for both sides of the Atlantic.
With the ink barely dry on the technology deal and the first migrants already returned under the new Franco-British agreement, the real test for both leaders will be how these headline-grabbing moments translate into lasting policy—and whether the "unbreakable bond" they celebrated at Chequers can weather the storms ahead.
