Trump says 'sad to see' US-UK relationship is not what it was

Trump criticized the UK for not immediately supporting U.S. strikes against Iran, saying the relationship with Britain “is not what it was” and contrasting it with strong support from France and other allies.

Sarah Young/Reuters

March 03, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, as a patch of blemished skin is visible above his shirt collar, during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 2, 2026.

Ken Cedeno/Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump said it was "sad to see" the relationship with Britain was "not what it was" after Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially held off giving support to the strikes against Iran.

"It's very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was," he told the Sun newspaper on Tuesday.

He said the U.S. did not need Britain to wage war in the Middle East but added: "It's not going to matter, but (Starmer) should have helped… he should have.

"I mean, France has been great. They've all been great. The UK has been much different from others."

-Sarah Young/Reuters

"It's very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was," he told the Sun newspaper on Tuesday.

He said the U.S. did not need Britain to wage war in the Middle East but added: "It's not going to matter, but (Starmer) should have helped… he should have.

"I mean, France has been great. They've all been great. The UK has been much different from others."

-Sarah Young/Reuters