Donald Trump committed two embarrassing gaffes during today’s meeting with Keir Starmer, in which the US President inadvertently dropped a crucial document and referred to an ‘EU deal’ whilst discussing his agreement with the UK.
The US President and UK Prime Minister convened at the G7 conference in Alberta, Canada, today, where leaders are addressing a series of ongoing crises, including the conflict in Ukraine and the continuing exchange between Iran and Israel. The UK and US were poised to sign a “really important agreement” against the backdrop of the conference this afternoon, months after a trade deal was mooted during Sir Keir’s official White House visit earlier this year.
Despite its significance, Mr Trump was observed fumbling with the documents ahead of a key press briefing.
As Mr Trump exited the meeting centre in Alberta this afternoon, he was spotted holding a sleek black folder in his right hand, which he opened and displayed to the assembled press corps.
In doing so, the documents tumbled onto the floor, with Sir Keir stooping to retrieve them and hand them back to the US Commander-in-Chief. The pair shared a laugh as Mr Trump stood motionless and grinned, before the Prime Minister brandished the paper himself, hailing the “very important document”, reports the Mirror.
Mr Trump stated, after the documents were organised, that an agreement had been signed both with the UK and the European Union during the international gathering.
He proclaimed: “The agreement is done, we’ve signed it.”
He followed with: “We’ll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”
As the President turned to the Prime Minister to shake hands, he commented: “I want to congratulate you.”
To which Mr Starmer responded: “Donald, thank you very much. This now implements on car tariffs and aerospace. A really important agreement.
“And so this is a very good day for both of our countries, a real sign of strength.”
While they celebrated the trade deal’s progress, US President seems reluctant to put his signature on one crucial document. Members of the G7 were ready to endorse a joint declaration urging Israel and Iran to tone down tensions.
According to reports, Mr Trump sees no need to sign the statement that recognises Israel’s “right to defend itself” while stating Iran “must not come into possession of a nuclear weapon”.
The official standpoint from the White House indicated President Trump would stick to his commitment of “continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon”. Their spokesperson stated: “Under the strong leadership of President Trump, the United States is back to leading the effort to restore peace around the world. President Trump will continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.”