Burnham passes his first Trump test - but papers over the cracks
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham held his first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly. While Trump praised UK relations and distanced them from the previous administration, both leaders navigated diplomatic differences carefully.
Why it matters
The dynamic between a new British prime minister and the U.S. president sets the tone for transatlantic relations and geopolitical strategy.
Britain’s newbie prime minister got through an hour with the U.S. president mostly unscathed. But the immediate differences were on show more than with Keir Starmer.
Copy Link Copied Share via email Share on X Share on WhatsApp Share on LinkedIn Andy Burnham shakes hands with Donald Trump during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22, 2026. | Pool photo by Toby Melville via WPA/Getty Images September 23, 2026 4:00 am CET By Dan Bloom NEW YORK — Before Andy Burnham’s meeting with Donald Trump, a senior U.K. government figure noted wryly that they were looking out for one thing — whether the U.S. president would claim that Burnham was better than the last guy.
After nearly an hour together in a cramped, low-ceilinged room in the United Nations basement, Trump did exactly that.
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