By ABT NEWS DESK | June 21, 2026
LONDON — The political survival of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hanging by a thread this weekend, and US President Donald Trump is pouring fuel on the fire.
As over 100 Labour MPs publicly call for Starmer to set a timetable for his departure—with a resignation announcement reportedly expected as early as Monday—Trump has weighed in with explosive commentary across the Atlantic. While Starmer’s crisis is largely driven by internal Labour party mutinies and the rise of rival Andy Burnham, Trump has loudly diagnosed the two fatal missteps dragging the Prime Minister down: Immigration and North Sea Energy.
In a series of blistering remarks and social media jabs, Trump made it clear that Starmer’s failure to adopt a tougher stance on these two fronts is exactly why his government faces ruin just two years after a landslide victory.
Here is a breakdown of the two battlegrounds Trump claims are forcing Starmer to the exit:
1. The Immigration Backlash
According to Trump, Starmer’s border policies have been an unmitigated “disaster.” The UK has been caught in a severe, ongoing debate over asylum policies and illegal immigration.
With Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surging in the polls—leading national surveys for over 300 consecutive days—voter anger over immigration has reached a boiling point. Trump has repeatedly aligned himself with the populist right in the UK, arguing that Starmer’s refusal to lock down the borders has completely alienated the British working class.
2. North Sea Oil vs. Wind Energy
The second fatal flaw, according to the US President, is Starmer’s energy strategy. Trump has openly advised the Prime Minister to abandon his heavy reliance on wind energy and immediately open up North Sea oil drilling.
Amid rising living costs, crippling energy prices, and geopolitical instability (exacerbated by ongoing US-Iran conflicts), Trump has mocked Starmer’s green energy initiatives. The US President insists that abandoning the UK’s domestic oil reserves in the North Sea has left the country economically vulnerable and weak on the global stage. “Open North Sea Oil & Get Tough on Immigration,” Trump recently advised, emphasizing that Starmer faces fatal political risks without long-term energy security.
The Reality on the Ground
While Trump’s transatlantic pressure highlights the international spotlight on Downing Street, Starmer’s most immediate threat is coming from inside the house.
The Prime Minister is currently spending the weekend at Chequers, his country residence, holding crisis talks and “reflecting on the political realities.” His domestic approval ratings have plummeted following a series of policy U-turns, a failure to deliver on promised economic growth, and severe friction with the US over military cooperation.
Adding to the chaos, Starmer’s chief internal rival, Andy Burnham, was just sworn into the House of Commons following a by-election victory. Burnham is now in prime position to launch a formal leadership challenge, leaving many in Westminster convinced that Starmer will gracefully step aside rather than endure a humiliating public contest.
If Starmer officially steps down this week, the UK will see its seventh Prime Minister in just over a decade.
Stay glued to ABT NEWS for live updates as the situation at 10 Downing Street develops.
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