Trump Praises Burnham but Calls Chagos Islands Deal 'Terrible'

The two men sat side by side in New York on Tuesday, cameras rolling, questions shouted from a press pack gathered on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. It was the first face-to-face meeting between President Donald Trump and Andy Burnham, and the headline from it was mixed: warm words for the man, cold words for one of his government's signature foreign-policy deals. Below is what was said, and why it matters, drawn from the BBC's account of the exchange.

What did Trump say about Burnham?

Asked by the BBC whether Burnham was someone he could do business with, Trump said, "Yeah I do, I think he's a natural businessperson, we've had a lot of discussions even before this meeting we've spoken to each other numerous times on the phone." He added, "Yeah, I think so, he gets it, he understands what he has to do." Burnham, for his part, told reporters he had "established a good connection" with Trump in earlier discussions and had "taken that further today" on trade and immigration.

Why did Trump call the Chagos deal 'terrible'?

Trump used the same appearance to restate his opposition to the UK's plan to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while paying to lease back the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelago's largest island. He stressed the base is "strategically very important," particularly for US operations related to Iran. Turning to Burnham directly, Trump said, "I think the prime minister is going to be looking at [the deal]." Burnham's one-word reply: "Yep."

What is the Chagos Islands deal, and what would it cost?

Under the agreement, the UK would cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while paying an average of £101m ($136m) a year to retain use of the Diego Garcia base. The deal was paused indefinitely in April after Trump withdrew his support, and it has remained unresolved since.

Is the Chagos deal dead?

Asked directly by broadcasters whether the deal is finished, Burnham said the UK will "work hard" to find a resolution between the parties and is "confident we can find it working with our US partners." He added that he has "inherited the situation and we need a resolution," calling it "critical to safeguard the future of the base," both for UK security and for the United States.

What else did the two leaders discuss?

Burnham told Trump that Britain has endured "too much turbulence" recently but that it is time to "turn the story" of the country into a positive one. Trump responded that the UK has "great patriotism" and is "waiting for good leadership, waiting for success." The tone contrasted with the friction that had built up between Trump and Sir Keir Starmer earlier in the year, after Starmer refused to permit US-Israel strikes on Iran to launch from UK bases.

What happens next for the base and the relationship?

No timetable was given for resolving the Diego Garcia dispute, and both leaders left the door open rather than closed. Burnham's language — "work hard," "confident," "need a resolution" — points toward renewed negotiation rather than an abandoned deal, while Trump's repeated use of "terrible" signals he expects changes before any agreement moves forward. The meeting took place amid the broader UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders, where questions about institutional power, including which countries hold Security Council veto power, were also under discussion this week.