Donald Trump has thrown fresh shade at Sir Keir Starmer by sharing a comedy sketch on Truth Social that mocks the UK Prime Minister as terrified to pick up the phone to the US President. The move inflames already frosty relations over Britain’s stance in the escalating Iran conflict.
Starmer ‘paralysed with fear’ in comedy skit
The clip, from the British version of Saturday Night Live, aired on Sky, shows a nervous Starmer unable to call Trump from Downing Street. “What if Donald shouts at me?” the actor playing Starmer frets to deputy David Lammy. When a fake Trump answers, he slams down the phone, terrified. “I just hate conflict so much,” Starmer admits in the sketch, confessing he’s “out of my depth.”
The parody also slams the PM for being all talk and no action. The fictional Starmer vows to “say anything, do anything, except take a stand” — a line that Trump eagerly boosted to his followers, piling on the pressure.
Trump doubles down on UK criticism
This latest public dig follows Trump’s earlier digs, calling Starmer “disappointing” and “no Churchill” over the UK’s hesitation in backing a tougher military role in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. Trump has even slammed NATO allies as “cowards” for refusing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
On the very night he shared the sketch, Trump issued a dramatic 48-hour ultimatum on Truth Social. He threatened to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the crucial Strait of Hormuz isn’t fully reopened — ramping up a fresh diplomatic row with London.
London draws the line on military action
Government sources in the UK have made clear Britain has not signed off on attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, despite letting US forces run defensive operations from British military bases like Diego Garcia. Trump’s belligerent talk is testing the limits of that uneasy consent.
Starmer’s ratings rise amid cautious public
Polls show Brits remain wary of deeper involvement in the conflict. An Opinium survey out this weekend revealed a surprising 11-point boost in Starmer’s personal ratings since the strikes began — though his popularity is still historically low.
Notably, Trump shared a censored version of the sketch, cutting out a part where the fake Starmer rejects joining Trump in launching “World War 3,” comparing the UK-US alliance to the on-again, off-again love lives in the sitcom Friends.
