Donald Trump urged Keir Starmer to deploy the military to stop the Channel boats crisis ‘destroying’ Britain today.

During a joint press conference, the US president emphasized that illegal immigration ‘destroys countries from within’ while underscoring his achievements in fortifying the border.

Mr. Trump also directly opposed Sir Keir’s plan to acknowledge a Palestinian state, encouraged the UK to intensify drilling in the North Sea, and celebrated the ‘traditions of British liberty.’

These statements were made as the leaders concluded a State Visit, with the Prime Minister celebrating the ‘renewed’ Special Relationship and his ‘friendship’ with Mr. Trump.

Speaking at Chequers, Sir Keir insisted that Vladimir Putin’s strikes on Ukraine were ‘not the actions of someone who wants peace’. 

In some of his toughest language which will be welcomed by No10, Mr Trump said Putin had ‘let me down, he’s really let me down’. 

Sir Keir urged a new push for peace in Gaza – where the allies have taken sharply different approaches. 

But as well as batting away the idea of recognising Palestine, Mr Trump delivered a veiled dig over American concerns about free speech in the UK. Sir Keir responded later in the exchanges that Britain had enjoyed free speech for a ‘very very long time’. ‘It’s part of who we are as a country… we fought for it in the Second World War alongside each other.’  

And asked about the Channel boats crisis, Mr Trump cited his own policies: ‘What I saw happening, with millions of people pouring into our country, I couldn’t stand to watch it, and we’ve done a great job.’

He said ‘the last three months we had zero – from millions of people a year ago, we had zero people enter our country illegally’.

Mr Trump added: ‘I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.

‘It destroys countries from within and we’re actually now removing a lot of the people that came into our country.’

Keir Starmer boasted of a ‘renewed’ Special Relationship today as he runs the gauntlet of a joint press conference with Donald Trump

Keir Starmer said the leaders ‘genuinely like each other’ as they oversaw a business reception at Chequers

Donald Trump and Keir Starmer began their talks in the opulent surroundings of Chequers this morning

Sir Keir seemed to be pointing out historical features in his country residence 

Mr Trump, Sir Keir, Melania and Lady Victoria watched a display by the Red Devils

The US president’s State Visit turned to politics after a first day focused on pomp and ceremony at Windsor.Sir Keir will be keen to keep eyes on pledges of US investment into the UK, after a £150billion announcement overnight by huge firms including Blackstone and Palantir.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has hosted a business reception in Downing Street for bosses at top US and UK financial firms, including BlackRock, Barclays and Blackstone in a bid to highlight Transatlantic economic cooperation.

Sir Keir and Mr Trump have signed a huge tech investment deal at Chequers, with Mr Trump insisting it will help advance the ‘next technological revolution’.

He also complimented Sir Keir on the trade pact sealed with the US back in May, describing him as a ‘great negotiator’.

Sir Keir will be hoping Mr Trump can avoid deepening his domestic crisis, with a series of potential landmines lying in wait.

The sacking of US ambassador Lord Mandelson over his emails to Jeffrey Epstein is another likely topic for questions.

As they signed the agreement earlier, Mr Trump said the relationship between the nations was an ‘unbreakable bond’ and ‘priceless’.

But there was an awkward moment as the president boasted that he had closed the US southern border with ‘zero’ people entering illegally. Sir Keir has been struggling to stop small boats crossing the Channel.

Speaking alongside Mr Trump at Chequers, Sir Keir said: ‘This historic second state visit is a moment to celebrate the unique bond between our two countries.

‘But today, we’ve gone far beyond that. We’ve renewed the special relationship for a new era.

‘The United Kingdom, the United States stand together today as first partners on defence, first partners in trade – with the groundbreaking deal we struck in May – and now, with a new agreement that we’ve just signed this afternoon, we’re confirming our status as the first partners in science and technology ready to define this century together just as we did the last.’

Mr Trump said of the two countries ‘we are forever joined, and we are forever friends’. 

At the business reception, Sir Keir told the president that the Special Relationship needed ‘leaders who respect each other, leaders who genuinely like each other’.

He said it was a ‘great pleasure for me personally’ to entertain Mr Trump.

‘You are among friends… there is so much to celebrate in the Special Relationship between our two countries,’ he said.

Mr Trump said he was ‘sincerely grateful’ for being invited to ‘this very special home, this beautiful place’.

‘And I was here a number of years ago, but somehow today, it looks even better, even more beautiful and even more historic. Melania and I are forever thankful to His Majesty King Charles the Third, and Her Majesty, Queen Camilla.

‘Had a fantastic evening last night, but the exquisite honour of a second official state visit, the first ever.

‘It’s the first time it’s ever been done, was really was an honour such great history, and to think it’s a first, it’s always nice to have a first, but the ties between our countries are priceless, and it’s really an inheritance, beautiful inheritance.

‘Today, we’re making those ties closer than ever before. We’ve done some things that financially are great for both countries, and we work together, and it keeps us together.

‘And I think it’s an unbreakable bond we have, regardless of what we’re doing today, I think it’s unbreakable.’

Earlier, the pair shook hands warmly on the steps of the PM’s country residence after Mr Trump pulled up in his armoured limousine known as ‘The Beast’. 

Sir Keir’s wife Lady Victoria joined him in greeting Mr Trump at the entrance to Chequers, as they gave an awkward wave for the cameras 

Sir Keir is welcoming Donald Trump to Chequers today as he braces for potential ‘truth bombs’ at a joint press conference

An honour guard of RAF personnel from nearby RAF Halton and two RAF bagpipers were on hand to greet him, while Sir Keir’s wife Lady Victoria also came to the door.

At a Royal banquet last night after a day of red-carpet treatment, the president described his second State Visit to the UK as ‘one of the highest honours of my life’. 

The King saw Mr Trump off from Windsor this morning, before he travelled by helicopter to Chequers. First Lady Melania remained with the Royals for a separate visit. 

The PM has gifted the US leader a bespoke ministerial red box styled to take back to the White House, as well as showing him items from the Churchill archives.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also had face-to-face talks at Chequers.

Hopes Sir Keir could deliver on his boast to have eliminated Mr Trump’s ‘beautiful’ tariffs on steel imports from Britain have also been dashed. No agreement is thought to have been reached on that element.

The fate of Lord Mandelson is particularly sensitive because of Mr Trump’s travails over his own relationship with Epstein.

Earlier, the leaders shook hands warmly on the doorstep after Mr Trump pulled up in his armoured limousine known as ‘The Beast’

The King saw Mr Trump off from Windsor this morning, before he travelled by helicopter to Chequers

The leaders saw each other alongside the King at Windsor Castle yesterday

Pictured: Lord Mandelson (left) in a fluffy white dressing gown enjoying a chat with Jeffrey Epstein (right)

The UK’s intention of recognising Palestine as a state could cause tensions between Mr Trump and Sir Keir (pictured, an Israeli strike on Gaza yesterday)

Sir Keir has been facing Labour fury after publicly backing Lord Mandelson to stay on, before sacking him the following day.

In an interview on Monday the premier appeared to blame his staff for failing to brief him properly on the extent of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, whom the former ambassador once described as his ‘best pal’.

But he failed to explain why he had not sought more information after Lord Mandelson publicly warned there were more ‘very embarrassing’ details to emerge.