Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on the United Kingdom, labeling it a 'bankrupt country' for failing to exploit its North Sea oil reserves, while deriding wind turbines as the choice of 'losers.' In a White House press briefing, the former president set the stage for a potential clash with incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham, despite expressing optimism about their future relationship.
'Two things are killing Europe. Number one is immigration. Number two is energy,' Trump declared, before turning his focus to the UK's energy policy. 'When you look at the UK, they have one of the best energy fields in the world, North Sea oil. Now I think your new Prime Minister is going to actually open up the (North Sea), from what I hear.'
Trump's Praise for Burnham
Trump revealed he had spoken with Burnham, saying, 'I spoke to him, and he sounded terrific on this subject.' He argued that opening up the North Sea would make the UK wealthy, while keeping it closed would leave the nation bankrupt. 'You're sitting on top of gold, better than gold, and you don't do anything with it,' he added, claiming that drilling could provide free energy for a millennium.
The former president dismissed wind energy as economically unviable, stating, 'They have windmills all over the place. Windmills, you lose your shirt. Any country with windmills is a loser. Okay, you just have to look. If they have windmills, they're a loser because you lose money with windmills.'
Burnham's Pragmatic Stance
Following his first phone call with Trump, Burnham indicated he would take a 'pragmatic approach' regarding the North Sea. This marks a potential shift from Labour's 2024 manifesto, which pledged not to issue new North Sea licences. Ed Miliband, who previously held the energy and net zero brief under Sir Keir Starmer and championed the election pledge, has since moved to the Foreign Secretary role.
His successor as Energy Secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has stated that the manifesto is clear there is scope to exploit existing licences, and that oil and gas are 'part of the mix.' However, she declined to confirm whether there are plans to go further.
Iran Remarks
In a separate matter, Trump said he is giving Iran a last chance to end the war, claiming that last-gasp talks with Tehran 'are going on right now' on Monday, and that Iran 'begged' for the meeting. 'This is a last chance for them to sign a good document,' he said after cancelling strikes over the weekend. On Truth Social, Trump slammed Iran's 'unbelievably duplicitous' leadership, after the regime denied talks were underway.
