Trump Flubs U.K Prime Minister’s Title in Massive Geography Fail
Donald Trump’s joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ended up backhanding an independent nation across the pond.
In an email to the media ahead of the international leaders’ joint press conference on Thursday, the White House referred to Starmer as the “Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.”
“If you are receiving this email, you have been APPROVED for today’s Press Conference with President Donald J. Trump and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Keir Starmer at 2:00 PM EST in the East Room,” the email read.
That earned the administration the ire of at least one Democratic lawmaker—as well as the independent nation of Ireland.
“Remarkably stupid, and insulting, of the Trump White House to call the British Prime Minister the ‘Prime Minister of Britain and Ireland,’” Pennsylvania Representative Brendan Boyle wrote on X, calling the president an “eejit.”
Trump himself also did not appear cognizant of the fact that Ireland won its freedom from Britain’s colonial rule more than a century ago. While answering questions beside Starmer, Trump referred to the U.K. as a “place where I have investments,” before noting that he owns a golf course in “a great place called Doonbeg,” a village in County Clare on Ireland’s west coast.
It wasn’t the only diplomatic sin committed by the administration during Starmer’s visit. The Blair House, the presidential guest house where Starmer is staying, had the Union Flag flying the wrong way on Thursday, and during another embarrassing moment of the joint press conference, Trump appeared completely ignorant of the multibillion-dollar tri-nation security alliance between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.
“Will you be discussing AUKUS with the Australians and the Brits? Were you discussing AUKUS with the prime minister, sir?” asked a reporter with a British accent.
“What does that mean?” Trump asked.
“The Australia-U.S. defense alliance, sir,” the reporter clarified.
The AUKUS agreement was extended in 2021 under Joe Biden to great fanfare by the alliance’s South Pacific partner. The arrangement coordinated the sale of U.S.-built nuclear-powered submarines and submarine technology to Australia, and comprises a key component of the nation’s security apparatus, per The Guardian.
“We will be discussing that,” Trump continued, gesturing to Starmer. “We’ve had another great relationship, and you have, too, with Australia. We’ve had a very good relationship with Australia.”