President Joe Biden meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Biden welcomed Britain's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to the Oval Office and said he saw Britain as “the glue that holds the transatlantic alliance together.”
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 75th NATO summit in Washington, follows a phone call between the leaders last week when Starmer took office.
Biden praised Starmer for “seeking a closer relationship with Europe” and said it was good for the whole Nato alliance.
“The special relationship is very important,” Starmer replied.
The two leaders spoke freely in the Oval Office rather than delivering prepared statements. They began by lightheartedly discussing England's victory over the Netherlands, with Biden saying soccer was more popular in the United States than it had ever been.
Biden appeared to ignore a barrage of questions about his political future and doubts within his party about his chances at reelection. When asked about Democratic donor and actor George Clooney's call for him to resign, he replied “AFL-CIO, go, go, go,” appearing to refer to his meeting with the union on Wednesday morning.
