Eric Trump says UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer risks “poisoning” relations with the United States by interfering in US elections.
In a deepening crisis for Sir Keir, the former president’s second son told the Daily Mail it was “quite disappointing” to learn that 100 Labor Party agents had been sent from Britain to support Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Eric warned that if Donald Trump is re-elected on November 5 – polls increasingly predict he will be – Sir Keir will find his actions have proven “counterintuitive” to UK-US relations.
He dismissed any influence he might have on voters, saying a British supporter of Kamala Harris knocking on doors in Georgia or Florida “would not be welcomed.”
“I have a general rule and that is not to get involved in another country’s politics,” Eric said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrives at a news conference during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa on October 26.
Eric Trump speaks to the Daily Mail at his office in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
“We have people from all over the world constantly dabbling in American politics, but it never quite works out, and as an American citizen, it pisses me off.”
The 40-year-old Trump Organization boss, who has invested millions in golf courses in Scotland, said: “A Trump presidency would be unparalleled for the UK as long as people can accept it and not play.”
“You would think that a leader would want to make better friends with both sides because it only benefits a country to have good relations with whoever wins the election,” Eric said.
“If the elections go the other way, a relationship is poisoned.”
Last week, the Trump campaign accused Sir Keir of “flagrant foreign interference” and filed a complaint with the Federal Electoral Commission in Washington, calling for an investigation into the Labor Party’s “illegal contributions” to Harris’ campaign.
Sir Keir denied the complaint would damage relations with Trump if he wins, saying Labor supporters were volunteering on their own time.
Eric told the Mail that the timing of the British left party’s intervention was “interesting”.
It comes as Trump advances in crucial states in the so-called Democratic Blue Wall, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. If any of these states fall into Republican hands, the likelihood of a Harris victory is extremely small.
Harris, who narrowly edged out Trump in the betting markets over the past month, now trails the former president by no less than 20 percentage points.
“The drive my dad has right now is incredible,” Eric said.
“So if my father wins, which is very likely (the betting odds have him winning), let’s say that’s true… What benefit did the UK have by sending an entire group to the US?
“How does that benefit UK-US relations? It’s so contradictory to me. I think a lot of people would find it quite disappointing.
Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to speak during a Turning Point Action ‘United for Change’ campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 24.
In its filing with the Federal Election Commission, the Trump campaign cited a now-deleted LinkedIn post by Sofia Patel, Labor’s chief operating officer, that said 100 current and former employees were going to volunteer in battleground states like North Carolina. and Nevada.
Trump recalled the US Declaration of Independence from British rule in 1776 and said the UK seemed to have “forgotten” that the US wanted to be free.
The rules on foreigners working on US elections are strict, stating that they must be volunteers and cannot receive any payment.
Patel’s post said he had 10 spots to fill in North Carolina and added, “We will sort your accommodations.”
Labor said in a statement that any party members who take part would do so at their own expense. Other local supporters provided volunteers. Sir Keir claimed they were there in their spare time.