The King’s visit to US in April was a stunning success: even “No Kings” Democrat Members of Congress giving King Charles a series of standing ovations By Nile Gardiner (*) - In his second term, Donald Trump has aggressively pursued an America First foreign policy. And rightly so. The U.S. president represents the American people, and every policy he advances should be in his nation’s interest. But backing British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands fits firmly within this vision, and his administration should stand shoulder to shoulder with the UK on an issue of huge importance to the British people.
Last month, in response to questions from British media, President Trump declared that the U.S. would review its long-standing policy of neutrality on the Falklands issue. This was immediately seized upon by Argentina’s president Javier Milei, a close ally of Trump, who announced tougher sanctions against foreign companies with plans to drill for oil around the Falkland Islands, as well as a renewed push to end British sovereignty.
The U.S. president has also seemed to equivocate over the question of whether the U.S. would come to Britain’s aid in the event of a future war between London and Buenos Aires. Trump made it clear he was hugely disappointed in the refusal of the British Government to back U.S. military action against Iran.
Trump Will Never Forgive Burnham if the Chagos Deal Is Resurrected Having worked closely with the U.S. administration in opposition to Labor’s disastrous Chagos surrender deal, I have witnessed first-hand the White House’s immense frustration with Britain’s socialist government, which has frequently been at odds with Trump’s team, from the Iran war and Israel to net zero, mass migration and freedom of speech. The Trump administration has been particularly unhappy over Labour dragging its feet on a firm commitment to swiftly increase defence spending in line with Nato commitments made at the Hague summit last year.
This is the tensest relationship that I have seen between London and Washington in nearly a quarter of a century in the D.C. policy world. The reality is that Labour simply isn’t trusted, and the renewed push on Chagos by No 10 under Andy Burnham on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly further underscored this. The British Government has been acting as its own worst enemy.
But I do not believe the Trump presidency will ultimately shift the U.S. position on the Falklands, despite all the stupid actions of the Labour Government. Here’s why.
The Anglo-American special relationship still matters inside the Washington Beltway, in both the executive branch and on Capitol Hill. The King’s visit to the U.S. in April was a stunning success, with even “No Kings” Democrat Members of Congress giving King Charles a series of standing ovations when he spoke to a joint session of Congress.
President Trump’s extremely warm reception for the King at the White House and his speech welcoming the King at the arrival ceremony, which I attended, were a glowing tribute to the enduring strength of our two great nations. The bottom line is that President Trump loves Britain, the British people and his British heritage through his Scottish mother. And like Trump, nearly 60 million Americans have British ancestry according to the 2020 census, including much of America’s political and economic leadership.
How the U.S.-Europe Rift Got Balkanized Throw into the mix the massive levels of trade and investment between the two countries, the vital strategic importance of the U.S./UK base at Diego Garcia, the key role played by RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire (despite the decision to temporarily remove U.S. stealth strategic bombers in the wake of an Iranian terror plot), and the extremely close intelligence ties between the CIA and MI6, and the special relationship remains very real.
Not a single American official I have spoken with in the last few months has told me they support a change in U.S. policy over the Falklands. They understand the huge importance this issue has to the British people, and all of them speak of their admiration for Margaret Thatcher who ordered the liberation of the islands from Argentina following the brutal invasion by its military junta in 1982.
U.S. officials also acknowledge that the Argentine position over the Falklands was viewed sympathetically by the Obama administration when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and far-Left Cristina Kirchner was Argentina’s president. Republicans are reluctant to take a stance that Democrats have traditionally favored in Washington, and which would be championed by the American Left.
There remains immense goodwill in the United States towards Great Britain and the British people, and very little desire to throw America’s closest ally under the bus over the Falklands. It is firmly in the U.S. national interest to defend the vital principles of sovereignty and self-determination the American people cherish. This piece originally appeared in The Telegraph.
(*) Nile Gardiner is Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and Barbara Lomas Fellow.