President Trump publicly revealed that Keir Starmer is quitting before the United Kingdom’s prime minister announced his departure from 10 Downing Street to the public.
Trump, 80, who clashed with Starmer, 63, over Iran and other hot-button issues, trashed the unpopular Labour Party leader before wishing him well.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!).”
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Trump speak during a family photograph at the G7 summit in France on June 16, 2026. POOL/AFP via Getty Images“I wish him well!”
Multiple reports indicate that Starmer intends to resign as prime minister as soon as Monday amid his rising unpopularity and a loss of confidence in him from the Labour Party, whose MPs are trying to make room for Andy Burnham to become their leader.
But Starmer has yet to confirm his forthcoming resignation. However, one of his top cabinet allies, Business Secretary Peter Kyle, publicly refrained from ruling out the possibility of Starmer stepping down.
Starmer had attempted to court friendly ties with Trump despite their ideological differences to maintain London’s “special relationship” with the US. He faced difficulties navigating Trump’s tariff storm, but ultimately managed to cut the first major trade deal with the US under the president’s second term, with any other country.
Starmer has not publicly announced that he is planning to resign. ZUMAPRESS.comBut things began to hit a snag during the Iran war, in particular after Starmer repeatedly rebuffed pressure from Trump to get involved militarily. Starmer also initially hampered the US from using key bases to carry out the attacks against Iran, but ultimately reversed course.
King Charles III visited the US in April alongside Queen Camilla and delivered an address to a joint session of Congress to help ease any tension with the Trump administration.
“I know we’re mostly inured to Donald Trump’s disregard for institutional norms and proprieties, but pre-announcing the resignation of the prime minister of America’s supposedly most important ally is pretty extreme, even by his standards,” British journalist Robert Peston wrote on X in response to Trump’s post.
“UK ministers are genuinely and understandably shocked.”
Trump and Starmer holding a meeting at the president’s Trump Turnberry golf course in Scotland on July 28, 2025. Daniel Torok / The White House
Trump greeting Starmer during a meeting of world leaders at the White House on Aug. 18, 2025. White HousePeston claims that he was told by a UK cabinet official that Starmer “has genuinely not made a decision to quit, or at least he hasn’t yet.”
The UK has had four different prime ministers since 2022 as it grapples with an economic malaise and political discontent. Starmer had led the Labour Party’s return to power in 2024 for the first time since 2010. But since then, his popularity has tanked.
Some polls have shown Starmer’s favorability below 20%.
Labour party candidate Andy Burnham speaking at a rally outside of the Labour party campaign office in Ashton in Makerfield, England on June 18, 2026. AFP via Getty ImagesBurnham is generally seen as more left-leaning than Starmer and as one of the Labour Party’s most talented communicators at the moment. He has espoused a somewhat populist economic message, though critics argue his rhetoric is vague and doesn’t address some of the difficult structural problems plaguing the United Kingdom.
Regardless, Burnham is a fresh face for the Labour Party at a time when the Tories are hoping to capitalize on their political woes.
But Starmer has yet to confirm his forthcoming resignation publicly.
