The G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, was supposed to be a big win for President Donald Trump. It was supposed to showcase a trade deal with the UK as his first major diplomatic success.
Yet, it turned out to be anything but that!
As he proudly announced his first signed trade deal with the British in a slapstick moment, he goofed and let the papers slip from his hands, sending them flying to the floor. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer calmly picked up the scattered pages while trying not to crack a smile.
And if that wasn’t awkward enough, Trump called it a deal with the European Union, not the UK. The mishap was caught on camera, and everyone was chuckling, leaving them confused about what was happening with this deal.
A Clumsy Debut for Donald Trump’s Trade Policy 2.0
Even though he called it a “very important document,” Donald Trump’s grasp of the details seemed shaky. He stated, “We just signed it, and it’s done, and so we have our trade agreement with the European Union, and it’s a fair deal for both.” This mistake about the UK’s trade status is obvious, especially after Brexit.
On Monday, an executive order didn’t create a full-blown free trade deal between the U.S. and the UK, but it brought some parts of a tariff framework they discussed before into action. The BBC says it’ll cut tariffs on 100,000 British cars heading to the U.S., bringing them down to 10%. But the taxes on steel and aluminum are still up in the air.
BREAKING 🚨 President Trump stuns the World by having a SIGNED Trade Agreement with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer 🔥
Donald Trump is the BEST Deal Maker
Tariffs absolutely work pic.twitter.com/Dr11vktBAd
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) June 16, 2025
When someone asked Donald Trump about those tariffs, he said we’ll have that information “in a little while.”
The President can’t sign a full free-trade deal without Congress’s go-ahead. So he signed a mini version, which is a partial implementation order for some tariff changes. The British are playing it up like it’s a help for their car manufacturers and aerospace firms. But some people think it’s all just trade deal theater.
“A Tiny Tariff Deal” with Much Grander Optics
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did his best to put a positive spin on the situation, calling it a “very important day” and saying it showed how strong the bond is between the U.S. and the UK. He talked to the BBC about the changes in tariffs for cars and airplanes, calling it a good start for more teamwork between the two countries. But, honestly, he didn’t give us much info on when all this would happen or how they’d ensure everyone sticks to the deal.
On the other hand, some folks in the UK, like Kemi Badenoch (leader of the Conservative Party), called it a “tiny tariff deal.” UK trade observers said it wasn’t near the big, all-inclusive agreement that past governments had hoped for.
Kemi Badenoch’s is still going on about her CPTPP trade deal which is 1/100th as good as being in the EU.
They think you are STUPID. pic.twitter.com/ibwzaCOINR
— BladeoftheSun (@BladeoftheS) July 16, 2023
Meanwhile, across the pond in Washington, the folks at the White House were patting themselves on the back for getting a $700 million boost for sending ethanol overseas and tweaking the rules for beef and aluminum. But if you read the small print, the deal for steel only kicks in if the UK meets some strict security standards that the U.S. has set. Some critics say this makes the whole thing sound better than it is.
The visuals of Donald Trump casually tossing the signed papers and the British Prime Minister bending down to pick them up, along with the President accidentally naming the wrong trade partner, accentuate what many people think is a messy way of handling international relations.
Despite Donald Trump chuckling it off, this little slip-up has just made the critics louder, suggesting that his plans for his second term might look impressive but lack depth.
We can’t tell if this deal will help American farmers or British car companies. But his jump back into global negotiations is already making us question whether he’s got the know-how, the clear vision, and the trust to follow through.
NEXT: Donald Trump ‘Impressed’ With Keir Starmer’s Wife—Is There More to the Story?
