Starmer dismisses concerns on Trump's health after document gaffe

Telegraph

3 hours ago

Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed concerns about Donald Trump's health after the US president dropped pages of the UK-US trade deal when holding it up for the cameras.
Mr Trump's slip happened as he held the bundle of documents when standing alongside the Prime Minister after their talks at the G7 summit in Canada.
Mr Trump also told reporters he was pleased to have signed a deal with the 'European Union', rather than the UK. Earlier this month, he had tripped when climbing the stairs of Air Force One.
Sir Keir reached down to pick up the pages of the trade deal, which dropped to the floor. The Tories mocked an image capturing him crouched at the feet of the president.
Joe Biden, Mr Trump's predecessor as US president, often had slips and gaffes leapt upon by Right-wing critics when he was in the White House. Mr Biden dropped his attempt to seek re-election after concerns soared after a stumbling debate performance against Mr Trump last summer.
Mr Trump, 79, is just three years younger than 82-year-old Mr Biden.
Asked whether he had concerns about the US president's health, Sir Keir told reporters at the G7 summit. 'No. I mean, look, there weren't many choices with the documents and picking it up, because as you probably know there were quite strict rules about who can get close to the president.
'I mean, seriously, I think if any of you had stepped forward other than me.. I was just deeply conscious that in a situation like [that] it would not have been good for anybody else to have stepped forwards – not that any of you rushed to! There's a very tightly guarded security zone around the President, as you would expect.'
The comments referenced the pack of reporters, photographers and cameramen who were standing nearby and covering the remarks from Sir Keir and Mr Trump.
'He's slightly more liberal than I am'
The Prime Minister and the US president appear to have struck up a warm, constructive personal relationship despite their differing political and personal backgrounds.
Mr Trump joked after their meeting in Canada: 'We're very long-time partners and allies and friends, and we've become friends in a short period of time. He's slightly more liberal than I am.
'The Prime Minister has done a great job. I want to just tell that to the people of the United Kingdom. He's done a very, very good job.'
The Prime Minister was asked by reporters to explain why Mr Trump likes him so much, given that other world leaders have had strained relationships with the US president.
Sir Keir said: 'That's really for him to answer rather than me, but we do have a good relationship. I think that is in the national interest, frankly. There's long been a close relationship between the US and the UK.
'As I've said many times, on defence and security and intelligence sharing in particular, we are closer than any two countries, and I'm very pleased that I've got a good relationship with him – notwithstanding, as both he and I acknowledge, that our political backgrounds are different.
'But it just goes to prove that it is possible to work in a constructive way if you keep your focus on the national interest.'