President Donald Trump delivered a stark assessment of Britain’s direction Thursday, warning that the country is approaching a crisis because of mass immigration and soaring energy costs tied to its environmental policies.
During an interview with GB News, Trump said Britain faces major domestic challenges despite reiterating his personal affection for the country and his admiration for King Charles.
Relations between Washington and London have become increasingly strained in recent years. The warm atmosphere surrounding Trump’s elaborate 2025 state visit has given way to increasingly sharp disagreements over several British domestic and foreign policies.
Trump nevertheless emphasized his longstanding fondness for Britain before turning his attention to the government of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, which he said must confront serious problems.
“Your country’s in trouble. You’re on the edge of disaster,” he said.
Trump singled out immigration and energy prices as two of the most pressing threats facing the country, arguing that British consumers are paying far more for energy than they should.
“You have a tremendous immigration problem, and you have a tremendous energy problem. Your energy is three, four times higher than it should be.”
Trump, a longtime critic of climate-change policies, has repeatedly urged Britain to reverse its move away from fossil fuels and make greater use of the oil and natural gas resources available in the North Sea.
Burnham’s government is currently considering whether to approve two major North Sea energy projects. While the prime minister has pledged to take a pragmatic approach to the transition, his government continues to support moving Britain toward cleaner sources of electricity.
Immigration was another major focus of Trump’s criticism, with the president warning that continued large-scale migration risks fundamentally transforming the country.
“If you don’t stop people pouring into your country from all over the world, you’re not going to have a country left,” he said.
The immigration debate has become one of Britain’s most politically potent issues, particularly over migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats from continental Europe. Public frustration over the issue has contributed to growing support for Nigel Farage’s right-leaning Reform party.
Burnham has continued the commitment made by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, to curb the illegal Channel crossings. His government said earlier this week that the number of crossings had fallen significantly, attributing the decline in part to efforts aimed at stopping boat launches and disrupting the criminal organizations responsible for smuggling migrants into Britain.
{Matzav.com}
