Trump’s ‘cats and canine’ conspiracy declare ducked by Starmer in five-word response
Keir Starmer has dodged involvement in a row about disgraced ex-US President Donald Trump repeating a baseless claim that immigrants are eating people’s pets.
The PM gave a simple five-word response when asked if he is worried about the nation’s cats and dogs when speaking to journalists on a flight to Washington DC. In a reference to his new pet kitten in No10, Mr Starmer appeared to swerve the question and replied: “We’re adding to our cats.”
Earlier this week Mr Trump repeated unfounded claims that immigrants are stealing people’s pets and eating them during Tuesday night’s Presidential TV debate with the Democrats’ candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris. The bizarre comment referred to unfounded rumours, spread by his campaign, that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are kidnapping and eating pets. This is despite Cleveland’s city manager publicly refuting these claims, asserting there is no evidence to support them.
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Asked if he caught the US Presidential debate, Mr Starmer said: “No. I have seen bits of clips of it. I didn’t see the whole thing.” But the PM appeared keen not to get involved in widespread ridicule Mr Trump’s claim, in a bid to keep relations stable in case he is re-elected to the White House. He instead felt more comfortable speaking about his own pets.
Earlier this month Mr Starmer revealed he had agreed to let his children get a new kitten. The PM said his family were getting a Siberian kitten called Prince to join their beloved moggie JoJo after “a long summer of negotiations” about getting a dog. But plans to allow the cats to roam freely are being hampered by the bomb proof door on his Downing Street flat, which is preventing them getting a cat flap.
The PM said on Friday that a photo of Prince will be released in “due course”. Asked if his new kitten had met No10’s infamous cat Larry yet, Mr Starmer said: “No, because Prince can’t go out, Prince is young, he’s fantastic though.” Asked if he had a picture, he added: “There will be a picture in due course … I won’t spoil that.”
Mr Starmer is travelling to DC to meet President Biden where he is expected to discuss Ukraine’s plea for restrictions to be lifted on using Western weaponry against Russian targets.
