Overview
- Trump called the planned transfer of Chagos sovereignty to Mauritius an act of “great stupidity” and tied it to his push to acquire Greenland, warning rivals would see weakness.
- Britain and Mauritius signed the deal in May 2025 to return sovereignty while securing a 99-year lease for the joint U.S.–U.K. base on Diego Garcia, and implementing legislation is now in a Lords–Commons tussle.
- London says court rulings had jeopardized the base’s future and that the agreement preserves its capabilities, noting it was publicly welcomed last year by the U.S. and other allies.
- The criticism marks a sharp U-turn from positions previously expressed by Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who lauded the pact in 2025 as strengthening U.S.–U.K. security ties.
- UK opponents, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, seized on Trump’s remarks, while the government insists it will press ahead with the treaty and seek to overturn Lords changes.