A sulking Donald Trump has lashed out at the British prime minister for not speaking to him nicely.
The president, 79, has made it known that he’s unhappy with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for his refusal to back the war in Iran and assist with a U.S. Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
In his latest tantrum, Trump criticized the U.K. for failing to make “at least a minimal effort” and use “at least nicer words,” according to the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, who reported the remarks.
The president added that “many people from the U.K.” had told his administration it was “incredibly bad a decision” for the NATO member to stay out of the war.
Starmer refused to allow U.S. bombers to use U.K. airbases during the initial strikes on Iran, prompting the president to say the prime minister was “no Winston Churchill.”
Starmer eventually relented and allowed U.S. forces to launch defensive strikes from U.K. facilities, but has repeatedly said he “would not be dragged into the war.”
Trump has relentlessly criticized NATO member states for their refusal to participate in efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical shipping routes through which about a fifth of global oil supplies flow. It was closed by Iran after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on February 28.
The president warned in an interview with the Financial Times that rebuffing his calls to help secure the strait “will be very bad for the future of NATO.”
Speaking to the BBC, Trump insisted that the U.S. “didn’t need” NATO allies in his Iran war, but said they “should’ve been there”.
“I didn’t need them, obviously,” Trump added. “We’ve wiped Iran’s military out. I didn’t need anybody.”
Trump said his pleas for NATO allies to assist Washington were “more of a test” to “see whether or not they would be involved.”
The president told the publication that a four-day state visit from King Charles III and Queen Camilla next week could improve bilateral relations.
“Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutel,y the answer is yes,” Trump said of Charles. “I know him well, I’ve known him for years. He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and NATO for comment.
