LONDON, Sept 3 - Former U.S. President Donald Trump told GB News on Thursday that Britain was "on the edge of disaster," expressing concern about the nation's energy costs, net zero commitments and the effects of high levels of migration.
While he reiterated "admiration and affection for King Charles" and said he loved Britain as a country, Mr. Trump reserved much of his criticism for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's administration. "Your country’s in trouble. You’re on the edge of disaster," he said, adding: "You have a tremendous immigration problem, and you have a tremendous energy problem. Your energy is three, four times higher than it should be."
Trump, who has described climate change as a hoax, has previously criticised Britain's move away from fossil fuels and has repeatedly urged successive UK leaders to exploit North Sea oil and gas reserves. In his comments on Thursday he reiterated that stance while framing energy costs as a major domestic vulnerability.
Prime Minister Burnham is considering whether to allow two large developments in the North Sea to proceed. He has pledged a pragmatic approach to the energy transition but has also reiterated his government's view that the country needs to shift to cleaner sources of electricity.
On migration, Mr. Trump warned that the influx of people was altering Britain's character. "If you don’t stop people pouring into your country from all over the world, you’re not going to have a country left," he said.
Concerns in the UK about migration have focused in recent years on people arriving illegally in small boats from continental Europe. Those concerns rank among the most important for many British voters and helped drive a surge in support for Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform party, according to the account of public sentiment reflected in Mr. Trump's remarks.
Mr. Burnham's government has reiterated pledges originally made by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, to halt small-boat crossings. In statements earlier this week, the government said crossings had fallen sharply and that operations targeting launches and the criminal gangs behind them were yielding results.
Relations between Britain and Mr. Trump’s United States have been described as turbulent in recent years, having cooled from the high profile, pomp-laden state visit to London in 2025 into a period of heavy criticism on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.
Context and immediate reaction
The interview reiterated long-standing lines from Mr. Trump on energy and migration while also including expressions of personal regard for the British monarchy and the country. It placed particular emphasis on three points: elevated household and business energy costs, a sceptical stance on climate policy, and a warning over immigration levels.
Officials in Mr. Burnham’s government have sought to balance near-term energy choices with a declared long-term aim to increase clean electricity generation, and they report recent operational progress in reducing small-boat crossings.
What remains unclear
The interview articulated strong views on what Mr. Trump described as Britain's pressing vulnerabilities, but it did not provide new policy proposals or detail specific measures for addressing the issues he raised beyond repeating calls to develop North Sea fossil fuel resources.