During President Donald Trump’s first term, his phone calls with British prime ministers were so wild that they left staff at Number 10 Downing Street in tears—of laughter!
If you were in the room when Trump was on the line with Theresa May or Boris Johnson between 2017 and 2021, you were in for quite the show. According to Politico, it was almost a tradition for civil servants to gather in a secure room or the prime minister’s private study just to listen in. The calls were unpredictable, often spinning off in directions no one expected.
One former staffer called these calls “extraordinary” and “brilliant”—but the sarcasm was clear. And let’s just say they were often more about laughter than serious diplomacy. The calls would start with one topic, but soon, Trump would veer off onto everything from wind turbines to his Scottish golf course, often leaving aides in stitches. It became a bit of a game to see where the conversation would go next.
Another Downing Street insider shared that any official agenda for the call would quickly fall apart as Trump took the conversation wherever he felt like. Sometimes it would get so off track that discussions about trade or Israel would fade into the background. On occasion, Trump would even ask about the health of Queen Elizabeth II, just to make things even more unpredictable!
Trump had a special bond with Boris Johnson, who shared a similar “outsider” status. They were both seen as disruptors, so their chats tended to be more in sync. However, Trump didn’t exactly hit it off with May, who was the second woman in history to serve as the British prime minister. Their relationship was strained, partly because of May’s cautious approach to Brexit—and Trump’s less-than-progressive views on women.
Now, with a new prime minister in office, Sir Keir Starmer, Trump hasn’t yet had his first phone call with him. Though they met last year over dinner, the two did have a conversation in December, after Trump’s election victory. However, news of their chat leaked quickly, which made things a little awkward between the two leaders.
There’s also some tension over Starmer’s potential choice for the next British ambassador to Washington, Lord Peter Mandelson, who Trump is reportedly not too fond of. It seems like the relationship between Number 10 and the White House could get a little bumpy in the future, with Trump considering rejecting Mandelson’s credentials over his pro-Beijing stance.
In the world of politics, it’s never just about policies—sometimes, it’s all about those unpredictable moments that get everyone talking!
