Donald Trump praised incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham for plans to fast track North Sea oil drilling, claiming Aberdeen residents were celebrating the move, though Burnham is expected to limit the plan to existing licences rather than issue new ones.
Donald Trump has publicly praised incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham for plans to speed up oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, weighing in just hours before Burnham officially takes office. In his first social media post addressing the new Labour leader, Trump claimed Burnham would be opening up the North Sea oil reserve completely. The comment came ahead of Burnham’s swearing in as prime minister on Monday.
According to The Telegraph, Burnham is expected to stick with Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitment not to issue brand new drilling licences in the North Sea. Still, reports suggest he plans to accelerate drilling under licences that already exist.
What Trump Wrote on Truth Social
Trump’s post was enthusiastic in tone. He wrote that the people of Aberdeen, Scotland were celebrating in the streets because Burnham had promised to fully open up what Trump described as one of the greatest sources of quality oil on Earth. He claimed the North Sea holds hundreds of years of untapped capacity and argued it could transform the United Kingdom from what he called a poverty stricken disaster into one of the richest countries in the world.
He also took aim at Britain’s current reliance on Norwegian oil imports, calling it ridiculous that the UK pays Norway billions of dollars annually for oil that he said comes from a less valuable section of the North Sea.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 19, 2026
Trump went further, suggesting that the UK planned to remove wind turbines he described as old and unattractive, which he said tower over and damage the appearance of Aberdeen. He called their removal something that would be widely appreciated across the country. He closed the post by declaring his affection for Scotland and insisting that unlocking the UK’s potential starts with fully opening North Sea oil.
A Long Running Campaign From Trump
This isn’t a new position for Trump. The Telegraph noted that he spent months criticizing Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to expand North Sea drilling, repeatedly urging Labour to reverse course and adopt a more aggressive drilling stance.
