Donald Trump's bizarre words about Keir Starmer's wife as he 'can't say more'
Donald Trump heaped praise on Sir Keir Starmer's wife as the PM and his spouse arrived at Trump's Turnberry golf course today.
Although the sound of a bagpipes disrupted the broadcast of the Prime Minister's arrival at Turnberry, the US president could be heard saying Lady Victoria Starmer is a 'respected person all over the United States.'. He added: 'I don't know what he's (Sir Keir) doing but she's very respected, as respected as him. I don't want to say more, I'll get myself in trouble. But she's very, she's a great woman and is very highly respected.'
The comments came as Trump addressed the media after meeting the Starmers on the Turnberry steps. Trump quickly answered questions on a range of topics, including the unfolding events in Gaza, the war in Ukraine and immigration.
Later, the PM confirmed senior ministers plan to meet this week to discuss the crisis in the Middle East. He said the British public are 'revolted' at scenes of desperation in Gaza and called the situation in the Palestinian territory as an 'absolute catastrophe'.
Starmer is expected to urge the US president to apply pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the population is facing starvation. He added: 'Nobody wants to see that. I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screens, so we've got to get to that ceasefire.'
Trump thanked Starmer for his support on international affairs. He also addressed the situation in Gaza.
Trump said it has become 'very difficult to deal with' and he was speaking with Benjamin Netanyahu to come up with plans. The US president said: 'Hamas has become very difficult to deal with in the last couple of days, because they don't want to give up these last 20, because they think as long as … they have them, they have protection, but I don't think it can work that way.
'I'm going to say it's a very difficult situation. If they didn't have the hostages, things would go very quickly, but they do, and we know where they have them, in some cases, and you don't want to go riding roughshod over that area, because that means those hostages will be killed.'
Trump said the US would set up food centres in Gaza without fences. 'We're going to set up food centres, and we're going to do it in conjunction with some very good people,' he said. 'We're going to supply funds, and we just took in trillions of dollars, we have a lot of money and we're going to spend a little money on some food.
'And other nations are joining us. I know your nation's joining us, and we have all of the European nations joining us, and others also called and they want to be helpful.
'So we're going to set up food centres where the people can walk in and no boundaries, we're not going to have fences.
'You know, they can't, they see the food from 30 yards away and they see the food, it's all there, but nobody's at it because they have fences set up that nobody can even get it. It's crazy what's going on over there.'
Trump also indicated a change in the deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table over the Ukraine invasion. The US president had earlier announced he will bring forward a deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire with Ukraine, as he met Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland.
Asked by reporters how long he would set for the new deadline, Trump said: 'I am going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today. There is no reason in waiting.'
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