U.S. President Donald Trump teased the British leader on the state of free speech in the United Kingdom, triggering a blurting response and insistence that he’s protecting freedom.
The UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Scotland on Monday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been holding court over the weekend at his Turnberry golf course.
Starmer should have been in for an easier audience than others — like European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who appears to have been in for a mauling on trade — yet a question from the press lobby on freedom of speech seems to have set the Prime Minister’s teeth on edge.
Asked whether the pair would be discussing free speech — a real hot–button topic in the UK amid recent high-profile arrests for words and a massive crackdown on the use of the internet — President Trump immediately made clear he knew more than he would say and glanced meaningfully over his shoulder at Starmer as he replied to the journalist: “well free speech is very important, I don’t know if you’re referring to any place in particular, perhaps”.
President Trump even cocked his thumb over his shoulder towards the UK leader.
Prime Minister Starmer appeared to be all but panicking by this stage, breaking his usual composed mien with fidgeting hands and a rictus grin to speak over Trump: “we’ve had free speech for a very, very long time here, so we’re very proud of that”.
President Trump has not held back on telling European leaders about their failures since his arrival in Scotland last week, with one of his most assiduous lines being on Europe’s open borders threatening to change the continent beyond recognition and to kill Europe altogether.
He said on Friday: “You better get your act together or you’re not going to have a Europe any more. You’ve got to get your act together… you’re allowing it to happen to your countries, and you’ve got to stop this horrible invasion that’s happening to Europe.”
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