Trump Urges UK Prime Minister to Deploy Military Against Illegal Migration
US President Donald Trump has called on Britain to use its military to confront the small boats crisis in the English Channel, warning that unchecked migration is “destroying countries from within.”
Speaking at a press conference at Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Chequers residence on the final day of his two-day state visit, Trump insisted action was necessary regardless of the approach. “We have to remove them and we are removing them, we have no choice and I feel very strongly about it,” he said.
His remarks came in response to a question from The Sun’s political editor on what advice he would offer Starmer. Trump acknowledged migration was a “very hard chore,” drawing parallels between the UK’s struggles and those faced by the United States.
The comments follow reports that over 30,000 migrants have crossed the Channel from France this year, with just one returned under the government’s “one-in, one-out” scheme more than 40 days after it began.
During the press conference, Trump also addressed other topics, including his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. “I expected it to be among the easiest to resolve because of my relationship with Putin, but he has really let me down,” Trump said. Starmer responded that the UK and US were working together to end the killing in Ukraine and increase pressure on Moscow.
The two leaders signed a £31 billion “Tech Prosperity Deal” aimed at advancing cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. The deal includes major investments by US companies, including Microsoft’s £22 billion commitment to UK cloud and AI infrastructure, Google’s £5 billion investment in a new data centre, Nvidia’s provision of 120,000 GPUs for a sovereign AI project, and CoreWeave’s £1.5 billion expansion of AI capacity in Scotland. Ministers said the agreement would create thousands of jobs, accelerate medical research, and strengthen British sovereignty over critical technology infrastructure, though critics warned it could increase dependence on US firms.
Starmer hailed the broader £250 billion transatlantic investment as the largest of its kind in British history, estimating it could create up to 15,000 jobs. Trump described his bond with the UK as “priceless” and “unbreakable,” praising the agreement for securing the two countries’ leadership in technology and innovation.
Trump also touched on energy policy, urging the UK to “drill baby, drill” in the North Sea, and expressed disagreement with Starmer on the issue of recognising Palestine. The press conference highlighted both the cooperation and differences in the US-UK relationship as Trump concluded his historic state visit.
