Donald Trump has weighed in on Andy Burnham's emergence as a potential successor to Keir Starmer, characterizing the former Manchester mayor as excessively left-leaning and predicting he would oppose offshore drilling in the North Sea.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he had limited familiarity with Burnham but had heard troubling things about his political leanings. "I hear he's extremely liberal, extremely, so that means he probably won't open up the North Sea," Trump said.
The remarks signal potential friction between the US president and Burnham should the Labour MP succeed Starmer as prime minister. Burnham has been critical of Trump in the past, calling American politics "polarised" and "poisonous" during campaign appearances. In 2021, as rioters breached the US Capitol, Burnham posted on social media that any British politician who supported Trump "should be ashamed right now."
Trump's criticism extends beyond Burnham. He also declared that "the UK is dying," a blunt assessment that underscores his frustration with British policymaking. The comments come as Trump grows increasingly impatient with allied nations over their response to the Middle East conflict involving the US and Israel.
The president made his remarks during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who traveled to Washington to address deepening tensions within the alliance. Rutte is attempting to smooth over disputes stemming from Trump's calls to reduce American military presence in Europe and his anger at allies for declining to support US actions in the Iran conflict or assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has long been skeptical of NATO, once describing it as a "paper tiger." His latest frustrations have been directed especially at the UK, alongside Italy, Germany, and Spain, which he believes have failed to show adequate solidarity.
During the meeting, Rutte presented data showing how substantially NATO members have increased defense spending since Trump first took office in 2017. He also highlighted that thousands of US military aircraft have operated from European bases during the Iran conflict, arguing this demonstrated allied cooperation and support.
"I know there have been isolated cases about which you are really disappointed, but generally speaking your European allies have been there," Rutte said, attempting to reframe the narrative.
Trump remained skeptical, interrupting Rutte at times to express disagreement, though he acknowledged the NATO chief's efforts. "You really have done a good job, and I think if anybody else were in that position, we wouldn't even be meeting today, to be honest with you, because we were let down," Trump said.
Burnham's potential path to 10 Downing Street appears largely uncontested within the Labour Party, with few other MPs being considered as serious challengers. His testy relationship with Trump could complicate his early months as prime minister should he win the party leadership race. By contrast, Starmer initially earned praise for his diplomatic handling of the unpredictable American president, though their relationship has since deteriorated over disagreements regarding Iran policy.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump doesn't do subtle diplomatic warnings, and this one landed loud and clear: a Burnham government expecting smooth sailing with Washington is in for a rough ride."
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