Trump slams Chagos deal in first meeting with U.K.’s Burnham

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, in New York on Tuesday. | REUTERS

Bloomberg

Sep 23, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a U.K. deal over the Chagos Islands during his first-face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, dealing a blow to the British leader in an otherwise warm encounter.

Even as Trump on Tuesday complimented Burnham, praising him as a “natural business person” whom he could work with, the comments highlighted the challenging path the Labour leader faces in forging a smooth relationship with the U.S. president.

“I don’t support it. I think it’s terrible. It was a terrible deal,” Trump told reporters during a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. “Somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous. No, we were talking about that, and it’s strategically very important.”

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