‘An act of GREAT STUPIDITY’: Trump calls himself out as he slams UK decision he personally endorsed

You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of the Chagos Islands. They’re a small archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean that has been under British control since 1814. Mauritius has long claimed them as its own, but Britain has been reluctant to hand them back for strategic defense reasons.

The debate over their sovereignty raged on for years, but finally on 22 May 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a formal agreement transferring them to Mauritius, with an agreement that a joint UK/US military base remain there undisturbed for 99 years, with the option of a further 40-year extension when that expires.

This is a model of how international disputes should be diplomatically resolved, with a deal that satisfies both sides painstakingly hammered out. Donald Trump – who had a veto over the deal as it involved a UK/US military base – personally endorsed it, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying:

“President Trump expressed his support for this monumental achievement during his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer at the White House.”

Rubio went on to confirm that the deal secures the “long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia”, which is a “critical asset for regional and global security.”

Trump on Trump: “Great stupidity”

Well, Trump has now apparently forgotten all of this, and is now slamming a deal that he personally approved of. Taking to Truth Social, he said:

“Shockingly, our “brilliant” NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before. The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Donald, you dunce, you approved this. You had a veto that could have blocked this at the time and chose not to. Now the ink is dry on a hard-fought treaty, and it’s too late to do anything about it.

For America’s allies, this is merely yet more proof that the United States is no longer a serious player on the world stage. In terms of international relations, Trump is like a bull in a china shop and is simply incapable of remembering what he approves of and what he opposes.

It probably goes without saying, but a president with the memory of a goldfish isn’t ideal when it comes to long-term negotiations. How can you possibly make any kind of firm agreement with a man who’ll approve a deal and then months later describe his own decisions as “GREAT STUPIDITY”.