'Your policies are so stupid and Brits hate them!' Trump aide reveals how President roasted Starmer over lunch during UK trip

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 04:09 EDT, 23 September 2026 | Updated: 04:13 EDT, 23 September 2026 Donald Trump roasted Sir Keir Starmer over his 'stupid' government policies during a visit to Britain, a former White House aide has revealed.Ex-press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump's public criticism of the UK, especially over immigration, was continued behind the scenes on his state visit to the UK last year.Speaking to Fox News she recounted the president offering a blunt and withering assessment to the then PM over lunch at his Chequers country retreat.'We're sitting around the table, and we're all enjoying lunch. And we were in this beautiful place. And the president just starts ripping into him for his policies,' she told the Hang Out With Sean Hannity podcast.'He's like, ''Your policies here are so stupid. You need to close your borders. You need to deport these people you have in your country. I know your country, I know your people, they hate what you're doing.'''It came the day after Trump accused Sir Keir of being too tough on Russia over its illegal invasion of Ukraine, as the president met his successor Andy Burnham. Ex-press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump's public criticism of the UK, especially over immigration, were continued behind the scenes on his state visit to the UK last year Speaking to Fox News' she recounted the president offering a blunt and withering assessment to the then PM over lunch at his Chequers country retreatThe president also suggested recent warnings by European countries about the threat posed by Vladimir Putin, who is responsible for the bloodiest European conflict since the Second World War, were 'too nasty'.He had earlier acknowledged this when he said relations between the two countries were now 'more up' with Mr Burnham in charge rather than Sir Keir.The US president made the remarks following his first face-to-face meeting with Mr Burnham on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.Mr Burnham claimed he had 'established a good connection' with Mr Trump, adding that the pair had 'taken that further today' as they discussed trade, energy and immigration among other topics during their 40-minute meeting.But despite the warm words, there are differences between the two leaders over issues including the regulation of artificial intelligence and the plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the strategic UK-US Diego Garcia military base.As he took questions from reporters, Mr Trump disagreed that relations between America and Britain had become strained, telling them: 'No, I think they are up.' The US president made the remarks following his first face-to-face meeting with Mr Burnham on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New YorkHe added: 'They are more up now than they were with your last prime minister, let me put it that way.'Relations between Mr Trump and Sir Keir grew increasingly strained earlier this year when the former prime minister refused to involve Britain in the US war with Iran.The President praised Mr Burnham as a 'natural business person' based on their exchanges over the phone.He added: 'I think right now, based on my relationship with your Prime Minister, Andy, I think we're doing very well.'