This is what Sir Keir and Trump chatted about in first call since inauguration
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have spoken for the first time since the US president made his historic return to the White House.
The prime minister got through to Washington on the phone just under a week after Trump’s inauguration, which was attended by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and Argentina’s President Javier Milei.
Other UK politicians including Nigel Farage, Liz Truss and Suella Braverman made their way over the Atlantic for the big day – though they were not invited to the main ceremony.
Like other British PMs in the past, Sir Keir was not invited, with outgoing US ambassador Karen Pierce the only UK government official who went along.
So today’s 45-minute natter was the first time the pair had an opportunity to speak to each other as leaders of their respective countries.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Trump began the conversation by sending his condolences to Sir Keir following the death of his brother Nick on Boxing Day.
The PM thanked him for his words before congratulating him on his inauguration earlier this month – which made him only the second US president in history to be voted back in after being kicked out.
Sir Keir and Trump went on to discuss Gaza, with the prime minister paying tribute to the president’s role in ‘securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal’, the spokesperson said.
They continued: ‘The president welcomed the release of Emily Damari and sent his best wishes to her family. They discussed the importance of working together for security in the Middle East.
‘They also discussed trade and the economy, with the prime minister setting out how we are deregulating to boost growth.’
Trump repeated his well-known fondness for the Royal Family, before the two leaders signed off by agreeing to meet soon.
There was uncertainty about the relationship between the president and the PM after Elon Musk, one of Trump’s top advisors, unleashed a torrent of scathing criticism on the UK government earlier this month.
But Sir Keir will have been relieved by Trump’s recent comment that he likes his British counterpart ‘a lot’.
Speaking to the BBC aboard Air Force One, the president said: ‘He’s liberal, which is a bit different from me, but I think he’s a very good person and I think he’s done a very good job thus far.
‘He’s represented his country in terms of philosophy.
‘I may not agree with his philosophy, but I have a very good relationship with him.’
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