Donald Trump urged Sir Keir Starmer to deploy the military to tackle the small boats crisis, warning illegal migration can “destroy” countries.
In a historic news conference that concluded his historic second state visit, the US president gave his advice following a day of discussions.
As they celebrated their £150 billion technology partnership agreement, which they claim will enable the US and UK to "shape the world this century like we shaped the world in the last century," the leaders emphasized their good relations and the "unbreakable bond" between their nations while standing in the prime minister's country home, the Great Hall of Chequers.
Mr. Trump acknowledged that Britain's proposal to recognize Palestine was "one of the few things we disagree on," but there were still hints of friction.
In their wide-ranging, 45-minute news conference:
Mr Trump said Vladimir Putin “really let me down” as Sir Keir insisted both the UK and the US are ramping up pressure on Russia
Mr Trump urged Britain to exploit North Sea oil and gas, repeating his “drill, baby drill” mantra and dismissing wind power as an “expensive joke”
Both leaders refused to be drawn on the Peter Mandelson scandal, with the president claiming:
“I don’t really know him”
It came as the Home Office finally managed to deport an illegal migrant as part of Britain’s “one in, one out” returns deal with France but was almost immediately hit with more legal delays from the courts on another planned deportation.
Mr Trump, who appeared tired after a packed two days on his state visit, said:
“I told the prime minister I would stop it. It doesn't matter if you pull out the military.”
He said that his administration had prevented “millions” coming over the border, adding that migration “destroys countries from within”.
“We had millions of people coming in, totally unchecked, totally undetected from the Biden administration,”
he told reporters.
“[About] 25 million, in my opinion, that would be about 25 million. They came from prisons. They came from mental institutions. They were gang members ... they came from everywhere.”
Turning to Sir Keir, he added:
“I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the prime minister I would stop it, and it doesn't matter if you call out the military, it doesn't matter what means you use.
It destroys countries from within, and we're actually now removing a lot of the people that came into our country."
The prime minister said illegal migration was an issue his government had been taking "incredibly seriously".
“It is important we're able to prove it can be done before starting successfully to roll [the scheme] out as we planned.”
With Melania Trump and Lady Victoria Starmer looking on, the body language between the two men after a day of talks was warm.
Mr Trump tried to bolster a prime minister beleaguered by domestic criticism, including from Labour MPs, by praising his negotiations on trade, saying:
“He’s a very tough negotiator. I think he got a better deal than we did.”
After he signed the tech collaboration agreement, Sir Keir seemed to be full of energy.
However, Mr. Trump did not conceal his disdain of British policy on energy, climate change, and the Middle East problem, even as he refrained from bringing up his personal concerns about free speech in the UK.
But in response to criticism of rules intended to combat online abuse, Sir Keir launched an ardent defense of free speech in the UK.
He said:
"Free speech is one of the founding values of the United Kingdom, and we protect itjealously and fiercely and always will. And we will bear down on any limits of free speech.
I draw a limit between free speech and the speech of those that want to peddle paedophilia and suicide [on] social media to children.
And therefore I'm all for free speech."
"I'm also for protecting children from things that will harm them: paedophiles, those that peddle suicide, which has had a terrible consequence for individuals, particularly teenagers. And so that's the balance we strike."
But Mr Trump did make it clear that he does not agree with Sir Keir on his plan to recognise Pale]stine as a state. Although the president was visibly pleased when Sir Keir made it clear that
“Hamas will not play a part in the future [of Palestine]”,
branding them terrorists.
The US president and first lady's massive state visit came to a conclusion with the press conference, and Sir Keir will surely be glad that he survived the two days without any significant setbacks.
Prior to a UN General Assembly meeting in New York next week, the prime minister's focus will now shift to the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, which could be made as early as Friday.
How has the UK government responded to Trump's military suggestion?
Starmer recognized the serious problem of illegal migration and mentioned government measures such as agreements with France to return migrants and to take action against the people-smuggling networks.
Starmer said the first returns of migrants - the first under the “one-in, one-out” agreement with France - was an important step forward. He also stressed that this is not a simple issue with simple fixes.
The UK government continues to state that borders need to be secure, but without taking a position on the use of military force to control migration.
Starmer’s version of managing migration is aimed at reducing the number of migrants making the crossing from France to the UK by means of a strategy that includes international cooperation, law enforcement, and humanitarian management.