President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared that British prime minister Keir Starmer is “not Winston Churchill,” blasting London’s reluctance to aid the U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic as a “big mistake.”
“You see that man right there? You know who that is? Churchill. The late, great Winston Churchill,” Trump said in the Oval Office, gesturing towards a bust of the celebrated prime minister. “And you know, unfortunately, Keir is not Winston Churchill,” Trump declared while hosting Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, for St. Patrick’s Day.
It’s not the first time Trump has hurled the insult at Starmer because of his hesitancy to aid the United States with Operation Epic Fury. Earlier this month, Trump said, “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with” after Starmer refused to let U.S. forces use U.K. bases in the initial strikes on the Islamic Republic.
Trump has since sharpened his criticism, saying he is “disappointed” in Starmer and warning that Britain has made a “big mistake” with its weak support for the joint U.S.-Israeli operation. The president urged the United Kingdom to contribute modestly to clear the Strait of Hormuz. “You don’t have to send me aircraft carriers, send me a couple of minesweepers, we don’t need your aircraft carriers,” Trump added.
Trump also expressed frustration with many NATO countries’ refusal to assist with opening the Strait of Hormuz. He described the move as a “very foolish mistake.” However, the president declared on Truth Social Tuesday that “speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
On Monday, Trump announced that Operation Epic Fury has crippled Iran’s military capabilities. He said the Islamic Republic’s “air force is gone, the navy is gone,” and its anti-aircraft capabilities are “decimated.” In addition to hitting more than 7,000 commercial and military targets across Iran, the joint operation has also decapitated the regime’s leadership. In a Tuesday morning airstrike, Israeli forces killed Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, who emerged as the regime’s de facto leader after Israel killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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