Has Donald Trump’s second term been good for the UK?
Donald Trump is serving his second term as US President, which began in January 2025. The UK-US relationship has faced strains including US tariffs on British goods, disputes over the Chagos Islands deal, differing positions on Iran strikes and NATO burden-sharing, and pressure for higher UK defence spending now targeted at 3.5% of GDP. Recent UK leadership change to Prime Minister Andy Burnham has seen some improved personal rapport with Trump alongside continued tensions over trade, security and energy supplies.
51 Opinions
The whole world is being held together by decent men & women, who despite leadership & noise is keeping most of us alive by ensuring the complex mechanisms of our survival are just functioning. I get it if you want authoritarianism - put the difficult decisions in someone else's hands, so you could be free to pursue whatever you so desire. Except, even Saviours need us to govern ourselves daily. & we are all interconnected no matter how much you'd wish otherwise. ⭐️⭐️⭐ Edited
Trump has imposed tariffs on our exports, started a war that has increased our costs and threatens the NATO alliance which has successfully maintained peace in Europe for 80 years. His government actively interferes in our politics and his own domestic policies increase world poverty leading to migration pressures in europe and UK. His presidencies will be seen as immensely destructive and incomprehensible to history scholars as they do to us now.
Without Trump’s pressure we would be giving away the Chagos islands to a Chinese ally and paying billions for the privilege of using what is our territory by rights. Economic growth in the US, driven by deregulation and embrace of AI is also benefiting us here, things would be much worse without this tailwind for the UK economy. The threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon has been massively reduced by trumps actions in Iran
Trump has always been an opportunity for UK but Trump Derangement Syndrome in our Political Media & bureaucratic classes means that they can only view him through a very narrow prism of hate. He is looking after the US & loves his country - the UK government is explicitly doing the opposite hastening the destruction of the economy & our culture & hates us. So the opportunity & benefits are there for UK but shamefully ignored as we hurtle towards an evil totalitarian state.
Yes, because he woke us up to many unpleasant truths: Iran is a real and present danger. Unmanaged migration is destabilising us. Extreme globalisation of trade deindustrialised us, impoverished us, created supply risks and strengthened China. Govts are wasting money on progressive tat projects and buying votes. Free speech is under threat. Blaming orange man is shooting the messenger.
Trump isn't the problem, its our parliament that is. Total useless and will do everything to upset the only country in the world that has backed us through thick and thin. All it would rather do is cosy upto the EU that hate us and pander to every muslim nation who want us dead.
The man is an idiot! He’s got into a position in Isreal and Iran for which we are all suffering for
Trump has disparaged the UK, threatened tariffs, undermined NATO and suggested US support for the Falklands could be withdrawn. His comments backing Irish reunification show little regard for the sensitivities of the UK's constitutional position, while conflict escalation threatens global security. Global equity markets have performed well, benefiting e.g. pension growth, but that owes more to wider market forces than Trump and cannot offset the risks to British security.
This is like making the case for killing all kittens (and making the executioner very very rich off the back of it). Trump only cares for himself and is a danger to the world.
It hasn't, but this is not a criticism of Trump. He is probably the best president America has ever had, except JFK.