MY first bit of advice to Prime Minister Keir Starmer would be not to worry about winning the “handshake war” with President Donald J. Trump when he meets him at the White House.
French President Macron just lost and look at all the nice things Trump then said about France during their meeting in the Oval Office.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet Donald Trump in the White House[/caption]
Trump respects Starmer, says Douglas MacKinnon[/caption]
Trump shaking hands with Emmanuel Macron inside the Oval Office[/caption]
Besides, even if you win…you lose.
Do you really want to undermine the critical relationship between Britain and the United States because you bested Trump in a power handshake?
Reasoned diplomacy and multiple treaties, defence contracts, and economic initiatives scream out for you to throw the contest for the betterment of your fellow citizens back home.
Next, before you broach any diplomatic or international relations issues, you have some fences to mend with Trump.
Three which come to mind are these: First, you allow approximately one hundred members of the Labour Party to fly to the United States to actively campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.
In case no one on your team told you, that really angered the President.
He and his team referred to it as “foreign election interference.”
Next, we have Labour’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy once shockingly labelling Trump a “neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath.”
Not surprisingly, Trump and his team were not thrilled with that description from a “professional” diplomat in the Starmer government.
Last — Leaving London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his many insults of Trump aside — we have Lord Peter Mandelson — your current ambassador to the United States — who once openly called Trump a danger to the world.
Regardless if your diplomats need a refresher course in diplomacy or not, you can be assured that Trump’s team in the White House will have reminded the President of these comments.
Blame it all on bad curry, a total eclipse of the Sun, or the far-left all-in-one excuse/accusation of “Russian interference,” but acknowledge it all to be regrettable mistakes and then move on instantly to common ground.
Before you walk into the Oval Office, have several at your mental fingertips ready to discuss.
Leaving poisonous and self-destructive partisan politics outside the door of the Oval Office, you will be reminded or instantly discover that President Trump truly likes people and rarely holds a grudge.
One of the latest examples of that is Trump joking and laughing with former President Barack Obama at the services for Jimmy Carter.
Trump is convinced that Obama was out to destroy him and yet…water under the bridge in so many ways when they sat together.
Remember also, that Trump’s mother was from Scotland and he truly does have a soft spot for the United Kingdom, its traditions, and the Royal Family.
More than that, he respects you. As he recently said of you while aboard Air Force One: “I get along with him well. I like him a lot. He’s liberal, which is a bit different from me, but I think he’s a very good person and I think he’s done a very good job thus far.”
Keir Starmer has called for troops to be deployed in Ukraine[/caption]
Starmer is set to propose a Ukraine plan to end the war[/caption]
To break the ice with the President maybe ask him if he sees much of America’s and the world’s problems through the lens of a highly successful businessman.
What are the advantages of that? What are the disadvantages?
As you ask, keep in mind that in Joe Biden, Businessman Trump was replacing someone who had been a career politician for over half a century.
Has Trump become the template for the “Un-Politician?” Ask him.
Next, with regard to one of the President’s most persistent criticisms of NATO, point out that you, as Prime Minister, did just lift defence spending to 2.5%. From there, move on to Ukraine.
Remember that just a few short days ago, you said during a speech at an international summit on supporting Ukraine in Kyiv that: “President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks, and it has created an opportunity. Now we must get the fundamentals right.”
Lean into that positive regarding Trump. He has created an “opportunity.”
Thank him for doing so and then speak to the common ground the two of you do share regarding that horrific and needless war.
Leave the details to the specialists from both our nations.
Next, remind the President that a strong and secure Europe strengthens the United States while acting as one more buffer against China and Russia.
And that the key to securing Europe is to build upon the special and crucial relationship between our two nations.
Ignore the haters from both nations and speak from your heart to Trump.
That will go a long way toward getting the friendship back on track.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence.
