President Donald Trump publicly criticized the UK on Truth Social for its reported plan to transfer Diego Garcia to Mauritius, calling the move "GREAT STUPIDITY" and linking it to his interest in Greenland. He also shared or mocked private messages from leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and Mark Rutte, and posted an AI‑style image that further provoked European officials. The episode reversed earlier supportive U.S. statements and drew criticism from figures including Emily Thornberry and Gavin Newsom. With Trump headed to Davos, the incident has intensified diplomatic strain across the Atlantic.
Trump Publicly Humiliates European Leaders, Slams UK Over Diego Garcia Ahead Of Davos
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Florida on January 19, 2026. - Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
President Donald Trump has escalated a public spat with several European leaders by posting private messages and sharp criticisms on Truth Social, targeting the United Kingdom’s reported plan to transfer the strategically important island of Diego Garcia to Mauritius.
What Happened
Trump used his Truth Social account to call the UK decision "an act of GREAT STUPIDITY," and linked the episode to his long‑running fixation on acquiring Greenland. The post came after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly criticized Trump’s prior threat to impose tariffs on allies in pursuit of his Greenland agenda.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a statement Monday in the briefing room of 9 Downing Street in central London, Britain. - Jordan Pettitt/Pool/Reuters
“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.”
Private Notes Shared Publicly
In a series of posts, Trump also shared or mocked private messages he said came from other leaders, including a note he attributed to French President Emmanuel Macron and an effusive message from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. He posted an apparently AI‑generated image of European leaders gathered in the White House with a U.S.-colored map of North America that overlaid Canada and Greenland with Stars and Stripes.
These revelations followed earlier, more supportive U.S. comments: in May, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio praised the UK‑Mauritius arrangement as a "historic agreement" and a "monumental achievement." The president’s intervention reversed that tone and underscored tensions within the transatlantic relationship.
France's President Emmanuel Macron looks at his mobile telephones on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026. - Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Reactions
UK officials urged calm. Senior Labour figure Emily Thornberry advised patience and cautioned leaders to wait and see how events evolve. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the behavior as humiliating, saying the public airing of such messages and the obsequious tone of some leaders was "pathetic."
The episode adds to a pattern in which Trump has publicly aired private notes or used on‑camera moments to embarrass counterparts — from a claim about being snubbed by Norway over a Nobel Peace Prize to reading a message slipped to him by Senator Marco Rubio during comments on Venezuela.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gestures has he arrives on stage to deliver a keynote address to the Renew Europe Global Europe Forum 2026 in Brussels, on January 13, 2026. - Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images
Why It Matters
With Trump scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, the incident amplifies diplomatic strain across Europe and raises questions about how allies should engage with a U.S. president who alternates between praise, public trolling and personal barbs. The dispute highlights the fragility of customary diplomatic norms and the risk to strategic conversations on defense and international coordination.
Bottom line: The public exposure of private diplomacy and the president’s aggressive social media tactics have heightened tensions ahead of Davos and complicated already fraught transatlantic ties.
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