Trump climbs down over slur on UK soldiers in Afghanistan after backlash

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Saturday 24 January 2026 14:28 EST


Donald Trump has climbed down over his slurs against British soldiers in Afghanistan after sparking widespread outrage for his false claims made about Nato allies. The US president has now paid tribute to “the great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom”, after previously claiming Nato allies stayed away from the front lines during the war in Afghanistan.

Sir Keir Starmer raised Mr Trump’s comments directly with the US president during a phone call on Saturday afternoon, Downing Street confirmed.

The prime minister had joined Prince Harry, veterans and politicians from across the political spectrum in condemning Mr Trump’s false claims, with Sir Keir calling them “appalling” and demanding an apology. Critics have pointed to both the number of non-US coalition deaths in Afghanistan and Mr Trump’s own avoidance of military service in Vietnam.

The US president this week also suggested he is not sure that the US’s Nato allies would “be there if we ever needed them”, and he claimed that America had “never needed” its Nato partners, despite being the only member state to have ever invoked the alliance’s “all for one, and one for all” clause, in the wake of 9/11.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/donald-trump-uk-troops-afghanistan-war-starmer-b2907036.html

[SunSeeker]

1. I don't read anything saying he corrected his lie that UK soldiers "stayed back" in Afghanistan.

[BeyondGeography]

2. That's one country out of 18 and it's not even an apology

Who raised this asshole?

[underpants]

4. Answer: an asshole.

A Nazi too

[Americanme]

3. Honored by an American draft dodger

after being slurred by that same draft dodger. I'm sure the soldiers of the UK know what he really thinks. And I'm sure his opinion matters to them very little.

[The Roux Comes First]

5. A Cowardly, Lying, Duty-dodging Asshole Who Only Gained Office Through Cheating By His Russian/Oligarch Mentors

He is the biggest shit-stain on our country ever.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

6. Trump's big stupid mouth spews nonsense everyday

[dflprincess]

7. So while the Queen's grandson was in Afghanistan

Where were the Trump boys?

Starmer should have asked him that.

[Evolve Dammit]

8. Insulted all our allies and showed his unconcerned, incompetence. All in 90 minutes? What a gift to Vlad. n/t

[Eugene]

9. Dump just made a carve-out for UK troops. His smear of the alliance otherwise stands.

Dump did not admit his attack on NATO's contribution in Afghanistan was wrong.

The isn't a U-turn or a "walk back" as some media portray it.

[wolfie001]

10. I'll say it again as I've said it about 100 times on DU.....

.....fat orange imbecile

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. I don't give a flying fuck what Trumpedo has to say, I worked

with numerous allies during my time in time in the Marines, including Aussie and So. Korean combat troops in Vietnam and coalition forces during Desert Storm and found that each and every allied military personnel were highly trained professional soldiers, sailors, SF, etc.

Trumpedo can go fuck himself.

[IronLionZion]

12. I don't envy whichever future Dem president has to repair America's reputation in the world

Biden bringing us out of COVID was a monumental task. Obama bringing us out of the great recession too. It seems to be a pattern with GOP destroying everything and Dems having to fix it.

[JohnnyRingo]

13. It's not that easy to take something like a global speech back.

He was aware of what he was saying and any back door flattery now is obvious.
Perhaps he does know nothing about what he's talking about, but in that case he shouldn't have been given time at the dais.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. "It's not that easy to take something like a global speech back."

I wouldn't characterize anything he says as a "speech" but more like a rambling, incoherent rant of grievances.