During a stop in Dublin, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he figures he will be pulled into any future clash between Britain and Argentina over who controls the Falkland Islands. He spoke while seated with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Trump said he was unsure Britain would even attempt the trip if Argentina launched an invasion like the one in 1982. Getting there, he said, would take the United Kingdom “weeks by boat.” According to The Independent, he also said, “That is very far away.”
He went on, “I’m sure I’ll be called into that potential disaster, but if they do, I’ll probably be able to settle it out.” Trump added, “But right now, you have two countries that are not happy concerning the Falklands.”
Milei restates Argentina’s claim as Burnham says Britain will defend the islands
When a reporter asked whether the Falklands came up in his phone call last week with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Trump replied, “Well, the Falkland Islands is very interesting because here we go again.” He then returned to the same point about distance and whether British forces would make the journey.
Those Dublin remarks sit against an earlier interview in which Trump said he would not support Britain if Argentina invaded again. Trump’s shifting positions on foreign conflicts have drawn scrutiny, such as when a Republican lawmaker urged him to say less after contradictory statements about the Iran conflict. He tied that stance to how the United Kingdom handled the Iran war.
Speaking to GB News about a possible new invasion, Trump said he recalled the 1982 fighting. “I was there when they had the first war; that was a long time ago… you comported yourself very well, took it back very shortly. But it is a long way away,” he said.
He continued, “So, your country’s not doing well. Don’t forget you get a big percentage of your oil from the Strait of Hormuz and you weren’t there to help me. Your country was not there to help me.”
Burnham addressed the Falkland Islands tensions in the Commons on Wednesday. He said the United Kingdom would be “relentless” in defending the Falkland Islanders’ right to remain British.
Earlier this month, Argentine President Javier Milei, who is an ally of Trump, repeated his country’s claim in a nationally televised address and said the islands “are our future.” His government has imposed sanctions on people and firms tied to oil work around the Falklands and said it would file a criminal complaint against the oil company Navitas Petroleum over its operations there.
Most residents have favored staying British. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8 percent voted to remain a British overseas territory, with three votes against. The 1982 war began after Argentina invaded. It lasted just over 70 days and left 255 British service members dead, along with 655 Argentinians and three Falkland Islanders. Washington stays formally neutral on sovereignty, though it backed Britain’s effort to retake the islands after that invasion.
Published: Sep 13, 2026 09:45 am