'I Wish Him Well': Trump Blames ‘Energy, Immigration, And Crime’ For UK PM Starmer's Downfall

Last Updated:June 23, 2026, 06:12 IST

The US president said that he wished well for Starmer but added that it was the prime minister’s handling of energy and immigration that led to his downfall.

United States President Donald Trump on Monday said that he wished well for United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, hours after the latter announced his decision to step down as the leader of the Labour Party.

Trump was addressing reporters in the Oval Office when he was asked about Starmer’s resignation.

The US president said that he wished well for Starmer but added that it was the prime minister’s handling of energy and immigration that led to his downfall.

“I was critical of him only because, as I told him, ‘You’re really messing up energy. You have windmills all over the place. In the meantime, you have the North Sea oil,’ and they won’t let anybody drill… The UK has a much better portion of the North Sea. They don’t want to do it for environmental purposes," Trump said.

Calling Starmer “a very nice man" and “a very good friend of mine," Trump said the British leader, however, was not good with NATO.

The two leaders had previously clashed over the use of British military bases in Cyprus for strikes on Iran, with Trump expressing disappointment that the UK took too long to approve the US request to use RAF Akrotiri to target Iranian sites.

“He was not good to us with NATO. He said, ‘We can’t use the island,’ for a couple of weeks. Then he said, ‘Well, but ultimately I gave it to you.’ No, that was a bad move. That hurt him badly, but I wish him well. But he’s got two problems. Energy and immigration. And crime," the US president added.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced his decision to step down as Labour leader and prime minister, admitting that a significant section of his party no longer had confidence in his ability to lead Labour into the next general election. He said he would continue serving in the role until the party selects his successor.

The announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump predicted on Truth Social that Starmer “will resign".

“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects – IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Andy Burnham, a veteran Labour leader and former mayor of Greater Manchester, is the leading contender to succeed Starmer following his return to Parliament. His appointment would make him Britain’s seventh prime minister in 10 years.

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Prisha Vibhavari

Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st...Read More

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