Who called who handsome? Lip reader reveals what Donald Trump said to Keir Starmer off-mic

The mics were off as the Prime Minister pulled up in a Chevrolet car outside the White House yesterday afternoon and greeted the President.

The pair later held talks on trade and Ukraine-Russia peace talks, with Trump even praising Starmer’s ‘beautiful accent’ during the chaotic briefing.

Now a lip reader has revealed Trump’s unexpected compliment to the PM within seconds of meeting.

Speaking to Metro, Lip reading expert Jacqui Press reveals Trump reportedly said to Starmer: ‘How are you? Nice to see you here, good journey?

‘You look good… handsome.’

The President’s compliment gets a big old chuckle from the PM, who then gives a more bog standard answer.

He is thought to have said: ‘Thank you sir, let’s do this Mr President’.

Trump heaped further compliments on the British leader following this first meeting.

He described Starmer’s accent as ‘beautiful’ and was very excited to be invited to a historic second state visit by King Charles.

He said: ‘It’s a very special place and he’s a special man – and the United Kingdom is a wonderful country that I know very well, I’m there a lot.

‘I’ll be going there and we expect to see each other in the near future – we’ll be announcing it.’

The friendly meeting between the two saw them exchange gifts – with Starmer giving Trump a tartan golf cap and Downing Street golf balls – a nod to his golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland – and Trump gifting Starmer a US football shirt with his surname and Number 10 on the back.

The pair also ate together, with winter green salad, grilled seabass with vegetables and a chocolate caramel cake being on the menu.

Trump also indicated he would back the Prime Minister’s plan to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which the President said would ‘work out well’.

Ahead of the Washington meeting, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the deal, which would see the UK-US military presence on the island of Diego Garcia continue for another 99 years with an option to renew, would not go ahead without Trump’s backing.

Speaking to ITV’s Peston, he said: ‘If President Trump doesn’t like the deal, the deal will not go forward.

‘The reason for that is because we have a shared military and intelligence interest with the United States, and of course they’ve got to be happy with the deal, or there is no deal.’

The Ukraine War was also on the agenda at the meeting between Trump and Starmer in Washington.

Both leaders pledged for the US and UK to stand side by side in working to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end.

‘You created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace (deal), a deal I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world,’ Starmer said.

‘But we have to get it right.’

President Zelensky is meanwhile due to land in Washington later on today to sign a rare earth minerals deal to pay for US military aid.

En route to the US, he stopped off at Shannon Airport, in Ireland, to refuel, where he met with Irish Premier Micheal Martin.

Martin told him: ‘Ireland stands with you and the Irish people are very, very supportive of the people of Ukraine and we wish you well in the time ahead.’

Zelensky responded: ‘I’m happy to see you and happy that we have have an opportunity to speak.’

On Sunday, Starmer will host an EU summit at Downing Street as efforts continue to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelensky and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni separately visit No 10, the Prime Minister chair a call with the Baltic countries – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – before hosting the summit of European leaders, the Nato secretary general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council.

They will discuss the next steps in planning for security guarantees if a Ukraine peace deal is reached – something Starmer believes will have to involve the US.