A journalist asked British PM Keir Starmer what he thought about Trump’s constant social media mockery. His response was blunt: “I am not going to come under the pressure he is trying to build against me. I am the British Prime Minister, and I act in the British national interest.”

The context makes it even more intense. Trump has spent weeks publicly humiliating Starmer for refusing to join the war against Iran: called him a coward, said he’s “not Winston Churchill,” described British aircraft carriers as “toys,” and even shared an SNL UK sketch portraying Starmer as too scared to answer his phone calls.

But Starmer didn’t budge. He first denied US planes the use of British bases for the initial strikes on Iran. Then he only allowed defensive missions. And he flatly refused to send the Royal Navy to the Strait of Hormuz, as Trump demanded.

The result was unexpected: Starmer’s approval jumped 26 percentage points. In a country where Trump’s favorability sits at minus 65, standing up to him turned out to be the best political move.