Trump predicts UK Starmer can “recover” from scandal over former Epstein-linked diplomat Peter Mandelson.

London – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was once again full of shame for his decision to appoint a former friend of Jeffrey Epstein as the UK's ambassador to Washington. Despite repeatedly bashing Starmer in recent weeks for his stance on The war in IranPresident Trump weighed in to provide some much-needed — if lukewarm — support Monday evening.

Some members of the British parliament are calling for Starmer to resign over new revelations about the government's vetting of Peter Mandelson, who had a long history of close ties with the late American financier and convicted sex offender.

“Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has admitted that he 'used bad judgement' in choosing his Ambassador to Washington. I agree, he had made a really bad choice,” wrote Mr. Trump after Starmer apologized again to Epstein's victims and the British public on Monday for his decision.

“Still plenty of time to recover!” added Mr. Trump.

What did Keir Starmer know and when?

The latest manifestation of Mandelson's scandal – dragged it calls for Starmer to resign based on previous revelations in February – focused on what the prime minister knew, or should have known, about government security checks that Epstein apparently linked to a bad diplomatic decision.

A star fired Mandelson – the backbone of Starmer's Labor Party since the 1990s – from his job as Britain's ambassador to the US in September, soon after details emerged of the depth of his friendship with Epstein in the notorious area. files released in Washington.

In February, London Metropolitan Police arrested Mandelson after emails between officers The Epstein Files he appears to have shared confidential and sensitive information on the market with the American – who at the time pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor.

Mandelson remains under investigation, but his bail conditions have been lifted. He has previously denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's sex crimes.

Starmer has always maintained that he was unaware of Mandelson's close relationship with Epstein when he nominated him for ambassadorship.

On Monday, facing a flurry of questions in parliament, the prime minister accused Britain's Foreign Office of not flagging him or his cabinet's complaints about Mandelson during an official security check carried out in January 2025, a few months after Starmer announced his appointment to the diplomatic post.

While apologizing for the error of judgment, Starmer called it “appalling” that Foreign Office officials had not informed him of Mandelson's background, and said he would have withdrawn his appointment if he had been aware of the concerns.

Last week, Starmer sacked Sir Olly Robbins, who was the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office when Mandelson was appointed and vetted.

But during Monday's tumultuous parliamentary session, Starmer was lambasted by lawmakers from every party but his own, on the left and the right, saying he was either lying about what he knew, or guilty of ignorance.

Two members of parliament (MPs) were expelled from the chamber for accusing him of lying, which is against the rules of the House of Commons.

“That man couldn't lie in bed,” laughed Lee Anderson of the far-right Reform party.

Zarah Sultana, a former Labor MP who left the party in 2024 to join a new, far-left party, accused Starmer of “misleading the nation,” telling the chamber: “Let's call this what it is; the Prime Minister is a total liar, and if he had any dignity, he would resign.”

Sacked civil servant says “atmosphere of stress”

Robbins, a recently fired public servant, was not going down without a fight.

Facing questions from MPs about his role in Mandelson's appointment, he told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that there was an “air of pressure” from Starmer's office.

There was a “very strong expectation” that Mandelson “needed to be in office and in America very quickly,” and Starmer and his cabinet had “an attitude of denial” about the security checks, Robbins said.

He added that after the investigation, the agency he ran was “leaning in on the recommendation” to give Mandelson the security clearance, which is required to become an ambassador, but said the concern about him was unrelated to his relationship with Epstein. He declined to say what the complaints were about.

Starmer managed to fend off previous calls for him to resign earlier this year, including from his own party.

But Labor is not doing well in opinion polls ahead of May's local elections, so opposition demands for Starmer to be held accountable for Mandelson's nomination – and for his party to pay the price of votes – are likely to increase.