President Trump and the NHS
An emboldened President Trump in his second term has brazenly announced that he wants to own Gaza, Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Might he also have eyes on our NHS in a USA-UK trade agreement?
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer believes he can strike trade deals with both Trump and the EU. But surely he can’t – at least not if he wants to save our NHS.
Brexit has always put the NHS in grave danger. We were warned before the referendum.
When Donald Trump visited the UK as President in June 2019, he wasn’t just here to meet the Queen – he was eyeing up British assets for a post-Brexit fire-sale trade deal.
The President stood beside then-Prime Minister Theresa May , who was about to step aside for a new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
President Trump declared:
“I think we’re going to have a great trade deal, yes. A great and very comprehensive trade deal.”
A journalist’s question caught his ear. He turned to May:
“I can’t hear him. What?”
Instead of dodging it, May helpfully repeated:
“He says, ‘Should the National Health Service be on the table?’”
A smart leader would have warned Trump off:
“Careful, buddy, the NHS is our treasured jewel – best not go there.”
But she said nothing. And Trump, with greedy eyes, pounced:
“Look, I think everything with a trade deal is on the table.
“So, NHS or anything else. But everything will be on the table, absolutely.”
Then, he turned to May.
“OK?”
But she just smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
It was her moment to channel Hugh Grant’s fictional Prime Minister in Love Actually, who stood up to an overbearing U.S. President, declaring:
“A friend who bullies us is no longer a friend.
“And since bullies only respond to strength, from now on, I will be prepared to be much stronger.”
Yet, instead of telling Trump “No, Mr President, the NHS is not on your table” she remained silent. Instead of taking a stand, she let him get away with it.
Had she found her backbone, she could have ended her premiership on a high:
“Listening to you, Mr President, it’s clear Brexit is a disaster that will destroy our NHS. So, I’ve decided to revoke Article 50 and stop this nonsense.
“You can’t have our NHS. And we don’t want your chlorinated chicken or your genetically modified food, either.”
But she didn’t.
And now, with Trump returned to power, it’s up to our current Prime Minister to do what she failed to: stand firm.
Sir Keir may be desperate for economic growth, but it cannot come at any cost.
When Trump next visits, Starmer must be ready for his Hugh Grant moment.
“Our NHS is not for sale, Mr President!”
▪ NOTE: After President Trump stated in 2019 that “everything is on the table” in a trade deal, including the NHS, there was a public backlash.
Consequently, UK and US officials clarified that the NHS wouldn’t be part of negotiations.
However, indirect risks remain – especially around drug pricing, outsourcing, and data access. It should also be noted that President Trump in his second term appears much bolder in his extreme claims and demands.
US-owned companies already have a significant but often indirect involvement in the NHS, primarily through pharmaceuticals, medical technology, private healthcare services, and outsourcing contracts. The NHS increasingly relies on US firms for technology and digital infrastructure.
There remain legitimate concerns that a US-UK trade deal under President Trump could involve changes that might compromise the NHS’s position, particularly in areas like drug pricing, outsourcing, and private sector involvement.
- Related video: ‘President Trump and the NHS’
- Related video: Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister in Love Actually
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