Trump blasts Chagos deal - but insists special relationship is 'more up' since Burnham appointment
Mr Trump said the US-UK relationship is “more up” now that Andy Burnham is Prime Minister compared to when Sir Keir Starmer was.
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Donald Trump has slammed the Chagos Island deal while meeting Andy Burnham for the first time.
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Mr Trump told Mr Burnham that the UK’s agreement with Mauritius to hand over the Chagos Islands is a “terrible deal”.
Asked by reporters about the deal after the bilateral meeting, the US president said: “I don’t support it. I think it’s a terrible deal.
“They all of a sudden say they have ownership, somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous. No, we were talking about that.
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The pair held talks on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Burnham said the relationship between the two countries "matters so much to us", and praised the "good connection" established in their early discussions.
The Prime Minister added that the two leaders had discussed the Middle East, the Falklands Islands and trade issues.
In his UN debut, the Prime Minister also stressed that Britain has a “positive story” to tell about itself, in an attempt to draw a line under 10 years of post-Brexit turbulence.
“It’s strategically very important, very important. You know, we had to send our B-2 bombers when we bombed the Iran nuclear, we sent the B-2 bombers back home to Missouri. As opposed to flying for a short period of time, they had to fly for a long period of time.
“It’s amazing how strategic it is, and I think the Prime Minister is going to be looking at it. It’s very strategic location. And it’s unique…
“It’s a very important piece of real estate, militarily and strategically.”
Following the President's comments, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote on X that the deal to cede the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius was “dead”, adding: “Thank God.”
The Chagos deal is dead. Thank God. https://t.co/vn1QdXx7Mx
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) September 22, 2026
Mr Trump also said relations between the UK and US were “more up” than they were under Sir Keir Starmer.
Responding to a question on fluctuating relations between London and Washington, the US president told the press: “I think you’re up. Well, they’re more now than they were with your last prime minister, let me put it that way.”
Mr Trump said the deal over Rolls-Royce was a “deal that nobody else could make”.
He continued: “We made sure that Rolls-Royce was being properly taken care of. We didn’t force them to do things like build the Rolls-Royces in Brooklyn, New York. We didn’t do that.”
He added: “I think right now, based on my relationship with your Prime Minister, Andy, I think we’re doing very well.”
Relations between Mr Trump and Sir Keir grew increasingly strained earlier this year when the former prime minister refused to involve Britain in the US war with Iran.