President Trump inked a technology pact with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday that boosts joint efforts in artificial intelligence, ushering the countries’ “special relationship” into the 21st century and capping a U.K. sojourn filled with fanfare.
The “Tech Prosperity Deal” was struck on the second day of Mr. Trump’s state visit, which included a lavish display of ceremony hosted by King Charles and the royal family.
Several major U.S. tech companies will be involved in the deal, including Microsoft, which pledged about $42 billion in U.K. investment. Other participating American technology companies include NVIDIA, Google, OpenAI and CoreWeave.
Under the partnership, the U.K. and U.S. will pool resources and expertise into emerging technologies that can benefit from the best minds and innovations in both nations.
Investments from U.S. companies will boost British AI infrastructure, from building data centers to manufacturing computer chips.
“The bond between our countries is like no other anywhere in the world,” Mr. Trump said at a joint press conference with Mr. Starmer. “The United States and the United Kingdom have done more good on this planet than any two nations in human history.”
Mr. Trump was greeted by Mr. Starmer and his wife Victoria, along with another ceremonial guard of honor and bagpipers, when he arrived at Chequers — a 16th-century manor house near London that prime ministers use as a rural retreat and informal venue for international talks.
Mr. Trump said the leaders would finalize the U.S.-U.K. trade deal “very soon,” and they found common ground in their dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is continuing his three-year-long military invasion of Ukraine.
“In recent days, Putin has shown his true face — mounting the biggest attack since the invasion began, with yet more bloodshed, yet more innocents killed, and unprecedented violations of NATO airspace,” Mr. Starmer said. “These are not the actions of someone who wants peace.”
Mr. Trump called the dim prospects of ending the Ukraine war his “biggest disappointment.”
The American and British leaders are working together despite being a bit of an odd couple.
Mr. Trump leads the conservative MAGA movement, while Mr. Starmer leads the center-left Labour Party in the U.K.
Both men condemned Palestinian militants in Hamas as an impediment to peace in Israel, though Mr. Starmer stressed the need for a Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.
Closer to home, Mr. Trump recently designated Antifa, a decentralized left-wing movement, as a major terrorist organization. But Mr. Starmer declined to say if he wants to follow suit, saying the U.K. would make its own decisions.
The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week loomed over Mr. Trump’s visit.
The president slammed late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for saying “horrible things” about Mr. Kirk, and brushed off claims that Mr. Kimmel’s indefinite suspension is an attack on free speech.
Mr. Trump said Mr. Kimmel was pulled off the air because no one was watching his show.
“He had very bad ratings and they should have fired him a long time ago,” Mr. Trump said. “So you can call that free speech or not, he was fired for lack of talent.”
Mr. Starmer pushed back on claims his government is suppressing online speech, saying he draws the line at discourse that promotes suicide among youth or encourages pedophilia.
The leaders seemed to find the most common ground on matters of dollars and cents.
Mr. Trump said he was “thrilled” that his first major trade deal this year was with the U.K.
While some countries took a wait-and-see approach to Mr. Trump’s tariffs or dragged out talks, the U.K. struck an early deal-in-principle to allow U.S. goods into its markets in exchange for tariff relief and aerospace transactions.
“I look forward to finalizing it very soon. We’ll have it done very quickly,” Mr. Trump said.
British goods still face Mr. Trump’s blanket 10% levy when they enter the U.S.
Yet the deal is expected to lower sector-specific tariffs and a fixed number of British car exports.
The U.K. wants to reduce Mr. Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, hoping to slash it to zero, though details are being worked out.
“He’s a tough negotiator. I think it was a better deal for you than us,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Starmer.
“It was a very good deal for both of us,” the British prime minister said.
Alongside that deal, the U.S.-U.K. tech alliance will focus on developing new drugs, improving cancer care and producing life-saving treatments, according to a press release from the U.K. government.
It will also include investments in nuclear technology, clean energy, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Mr. Trump called the deal “the next logical step” between the two countries, while Mr. Starmer hailed it as “a win for both sides.”
“The deals and announcements you’re announcing today break all records,” Mr. Starmer told the crowd at a reception that included several business and top executives.
Mr. Starmer is hoping the deal will be a lifeline for his political future, which has been thrown into doubt amid a struggling British economy plagued by massive debt, high cost of living, and low productivity.
Economic growth in the country flatlined in July, according to the most recent data published last week by the U.K. Office for National Statistics. In July, production output contracted by 0.9%, following a 0.4% drop in June.
Mr. Starmer is betting the agreement will revive Britain’s reputation as a destination for overseas investment and tech innovation. The U.S. is Britain’s single largest trading partner, and several American tech companies have already invested billions of dollars in the U.K.
As part of the deal, a northeast portion of the U.K. will be designated an AI “growth zone” and receive special support in planning and energy provision for hosting AI infrastructure such as data centers.
The British government says the plan could create more than 5,000 jobs and bring in billions in investment.
Standing side by side at Chequers, Mr. Starmer said the U.S. and U.K. renewed their “special relationship” for a new era.
“With a new agreement that we just signed this afternoon, we’re confirming our status as the first partners in science and technology, ready to define this century together,” he said. “Just as we did the last.”
