STORY
Donald Trump has caused anger in Britain after dismissing the UK’s aircraft carriers as “toys” and saying their support was not needed. The remark, made as he criticised allied contributions during the Iran conflict, was widely seen as a slight against one of America’s closest military partners and against the service personnel connected to the Royal Navy’s carrier fleet.
The comments were also politically awkward because they came at a time when Trump was again attacking NATO allies more broadly, questioning the value of the alliance and complaining about the level of support offered by European partners. That has added to the sense of a US president increasingly at odds with traditional allies rather than trying to hold them together.
In Britain, the insult landed badly because the two carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are major national defence assets and symbols of British military commitment.
The timing has only sharpened criticism of the beleaguered President who is fending off allegations of corruption and involvement with the Epstein Files. Reuters/Ipsos polling published this week put Trump’s approval rating at 36%, representing a further fall.