At a news conference concluding his second state visit to the UK, Donald Trump suggested that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could deploy the military to address illegal migration.
Trump stated that he discussed migration issues with Sir Keir during their meeting at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country residence.
The US President referenced his own border security policies in the United States, noting that the UK faces a similar challenge with migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
“You have people coming in, and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it. It doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use,” Trump remarked.
“It destroys countries from within, and we’re actually now removing a lot of the people that came into our country.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has intensified deportations of undocumented immigrants and tightened measures against unlawful border crossings.
The US President’s two-day state visit included a formal welcome at Windsor Castle by King Charles and the Royal Family, followed by a state banquet on Wednesday and political discussions with the Prime Minister on Thursday.
President and First Lady Melania Trump departed from Stansted Airport aboard Air Force One shortly after the press conference.
During a wide-ranging Q&A session with British and American journalists, the leaders addressed questions on Palestinian statehood, free speech, the war in Ukraine, energy, and other pertinent issues.
Both leaders emphasized the “special relationship” between the UK and the US, announcing a new technology agreement that Trump said would help the allies “dominate” in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
The tech prosperity deal, signed at Chequers, aims to encourage US firms to invest in the UK and enhance cooperation on AI, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies.
Trump and Sir Keir navigated around several sensitive topics, including accusations of declining free speech in Britain and the recent dismissal of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
“I don’t know him actually,” Trump commented when asked about his opinion on Lord Mandelson’s dismissal.
In what could have been a delicate moment, Trump redirected the question to Sir Keir, who had dismissed Lord Mandelson due to his ties with the late convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
In one notable divergence, Trump mentioned having “a disagreement with the Prime Minister” regarding Palestinian statehood.
The Prime Minister intends to recognize Palestinian statehood ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York.
While Palestine has garnered some international recognition, it lacks internationally agreed-upon borders, a capital, and an army.
Currently, 147 of the UN’s 193 member states recognize Palestine. The UK’s potential recognition would represent a significant political statement, albeit largely symbolic.
Trump opposes such a move and accused the Palestinian armed group Hamas of “putting the hostages up as bait” in Gaza.
The war in Ukraine was also discussed, with Trump expressing his disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin for his lack of engagement in peace efforts.
“He’s really let me down,” Trump stated.
Trump further urged Western allies to cease purchasing Russian oil in order to pressure Putin to negotiate, but he stopped short of committing to sanctioning Moscow.
On the issue of illegal migration, there were no visible divisions between Trump and Starmer, as the leaders conveyed a sense of unity and mutual respect.
Standing beside Trump, the Prime Minister affirmed that his government has been treating illegal migration “incredibly seriously.”
Sir Keir noted that his government had secured several migrant return agreements with other countries, including France, and has been actively working to dismantle people-smuggling networks.
The Prime Minister highlighted the first migrant return under the one-in, one-out scheme with France.
“That’s an important step forward,” Sir Keir said. “But there’s no silver bullet here.”
More than 30,000 individuals have crossed the Channel in small boats thus far this year.
This marks the earliest point in a calendar year that this figure has been surpassed since data on crossings began being reported in 2018.
The surge in crossings has become a prominent issue in British politics, placing increasing pressure on the Prime Minister to devise a solution.
As part of his efforts to combat illegal immigration, Trump has issued a series of executive orders implementing a broad ban on asylum for migrants entering at the southern border and has deployed troops to assist in border security.
The arrests of migrants by the US Border Patrol have been decreasing since Trump assumed office.
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Day two of US President Donald Trump’s second state visit
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania are in the UK for an unprecedented second state visit.