Starmer did well yesterday

Trump forgetting he said such a ridiculous and undiplomatic comment would be worrying. Maybe there is some truth to the dementia rumours.

JD Vance said Trump is like Hitler and now he’s the VP. I don’t think Trump gives a shit what people have said about him as long as he has dominance over them.

Yes, he did very well. Totally cringeworthy meeting, of course, but that's diplomacy for you. The danger is that, Trump being Trump, today he's Starmer's best mate and tomorrow he'll call him a [insert expletive of choice] and impose tariffs on the UK.

Canada is also popular, but Trump is still trying to ruffle feathers with the literal closest ally with a huge shared border. It makes no difference how “popular” the UK is. The mandate is America First. At all costs.

I don’t know what the answer is, but none of us should be surprised when Trump does one over on the UK once we’ve rolled out the red carpet with a Royal visit, same as he did to May.

Rubio never smiles - looks so uncomfortable. He was the first voted into his post with no Dems voting against. I think the view was that he was the only relatively sane adult to be nominated.

I think Starmer did very well under what were very difficult circumstances .

I think it is naive to think he could do anything else other than flatter Trump . As leaders they often have to do things that are in the country's best interests that they personally find far from ideal .

I think it was clear that a lot of time and preparation went into this meeting and I would rather Starmer is in charge than Johnson or even Sunak .I think Johnson would have been great at the flattery and charm ( as how otherwise did he get all these past female conquests ? ) but he is also legacy driven and would not want to appear weak / concessionary .

Sunak - I think he would also have been able to charm . But at times he maybe went too far - but I am not sure with an ego the size of Trumps you can ever go too far .

Sadly it probably would have also helped with Trump that Starmer was a white man.

I do think that Trump has to be handled carefully and appeal to his need for pomp and self importance - our " trump!!" card here is the royalty ,

Yes we can go all out and Trump could change his mind the next day as he is so volatile , but we see how much damage he can do in one statement on social media so we have to do this with no guarantees .

Trump's right hand Musk has been busily typing on Twitter for months that England is on the brink of civil war, Starmer is a disgrace, only Reform can save Britain, and that King Charles should step in and remove Starmer as Prime Minister. Also that Starmer is complicit in mass child rape and that Jess Philips is a rape genocide apologist.

So there's every reason for Starmer to feel similarly disrespected by the Trump administration and go on the offensive.

May was weak, very weak, plus as a woman, started with a distinct disadvantage with Trump.. he rarely respects women.

So whats your alternative?

Tell Trump to do one?

The UK is quite popular, generally speaking, with most Americans, if we can escape tariffs, get the USA to continue to help Ukraine, even without a security backstop, its better than doing nothing at all.... or sticking 2 fingers up to him.

That's good to know. THAT was the real Trump. The rest of it was Trump's version of diplomacy.

I watched some videos - it was cringingly embarrassing - the creepy crossed legs body language and constant touching. I thought he looked out of his depth, stilted and anxious. And he was being trolled about his suits, his speech, etc

I do not understand how, given all the insults Starmer and Lammy have made about Trump in the past (poor politics from when they weren't in power) and for which there are receipts, they can in all conscience sit there smiling and pretending they haven't - total vaccillating hypocrites.

Nothing statesmenlike like about either of them.

BBC Americast DID go over Trump asking Kier whether the UK could take on Russia alone.

Canada pretty unimpressed with King Charles rolling out the red carpet after all he is their head of state and trump has completely disrespected their sovereignty with his 51st state rhetoric. King Charles is not just there for the UK

Your quoting Darren effing Grimes and expecting to be taken seriously? Dirty Donald's obsequious grovelling before Putin is weak,stupid and embarrassing.

Yes, Starmer did a good job for us yesterday.

Today, I am both relieved and grateful to have him as PM .. and I never thought I would say that

The point @Coolasfeck makes “If he fails, we all fail” is an excellent one.

This. The Royal visit will account for nothing in regards to alliance/goodwill once Trump has had his bigly photo op.

Starmer did well not to look too uncomfortable

He played the game like Macron he knows Trump has no respect for him but he has to show who is top dog

Trump only respects leaders like Putin and Kim Jong Un

I think he would have respected Thatcher but not anyone who is as diplomatic as Macron, Blair or Starmer

That's interesting. I hadn't seen the Telegraph write up.

Did we learn nothing from Theresa May? She completely rolled out the red carpet, arranged for Trump to hobnob with the Queen, then he subsequently completely undermined her. Trump will take the latest Royal invitation, bask in the glow, then do what he damn well pleases. To expect him to be on the side of the UK after a cordial visit is naïve.

Yes 100%

Remember though, you don't get to be a DPP if you re an idiot, i expect he did an awful lot of work on this visit as well as good advisors.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. The impression in the US media is quite different to impressions some of you seem to have. Might just be some media manipulation going on. I take it that the BBC didn't show when Trump asked Starmer if the UK could take on Russia by itself and the whole Oval Office, including the press pool, laughed out loud at Starmer.

Trump gave Starmer nothing but flowery words, which he does with every leader that visits. Trump says all the lovely things and then does whatever he intended to do in the first place.

I reluctantly voted Labour last July thinking them the best of an ordinary bunch. I haven’t been impressed, especially with the terrible employer’s NI stuff.

But yesterday, I was impressed. KS knows what he’s doing. Whoever advised him on this particular topic - good work! He has knowledgeable advisers, clearly.

I just hope the UK can get something substantial out of it.

Completely agree.
Sometimes you just have to swallow your own wants and needs and do what's best for others. And like it or not, we need Trump onside, as does Ukraine and Europe. Its too important.

Indeed. If he was in charge or our US envoy he probably world have turned up in full Russian military gear and offered Trump Northern Ireland.

I agree I think he did a great job.
Yes it was cringey at points, but sadly that was what was required so even more kudos to Starmer for doing it.
I have been very unhappy with Starmer so far, but he did very well here.

Marco Rubio is thinking, “I’d better STFU if I want to stay in Trump’s cabinet and keep my senior role.” Nobody in the GOP will stand up to him at this stage.