Donald Trump ignited a wave of criticism and disgust today with comments suggesting that courageous British troops avoided danger in Afghanistan.

The former U.S. President faced accusations of disrespecting the memories of Britain’s 457 fallen soldiers by alleging they remained “a little off the frontlines.”

Downing Street led the backlash, with Sir Keir Starmer condemning Trump’s statements as “insulting and frankly appalling,” and urging him to issue an apology.

In the wake of Trump’s controversial interview with U.S. media, decorated veterans, Members of Parliament from various parties, and families of soldiers who were killed or injured expressed their pain and anger.

Many critics highlighted that Trump himself had repeatedly avoided military service during the Vietnam War.

Doug Beattie, a former Army captain and recipient of the Military Cross in Afghanistan, declared, “I will not allow anyone to disrespect the memory of those men and women I served with, who sacrificed so much.”

‘We need to stand up to him, stand up to his bullying. This is a man who doesn’t understand service because he dodged the draft and now he is insulting those who served their country.’

Prince Harry, who was twice deployed to Afghanistan in his ten-year military career, joined the condemnation, saying: ‘I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there.

‘Thousands of lives were changed for ever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.

Prince Harry (pictured), who was twice deployed to Afghanistan in his ten-year military career, joined the condemnation, saying: ‘I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there’

The coffin containing the body of British Army soldier L/cpl Paul ‘Sandy’ Sandford from the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment is carried by his fellow soldiers during his repatriation ceremony on June 9, 2007 in Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Donald Trump (pictured) sparked outrage and revulsion for his slur that hero British troops shied from danger in Afghanistan

‘Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.’ 

President Trump – just days after clashing with Nato allies over his bid to take control of Greenland – told Fox News he was ‘not sure’ the military alliance of Western countries would be there for America ‘if we ever needed them’.

In what was taken as a cheap shot at his country’s closest friends, he claimed: ‘We’ve never needed them… we have never really asked anything of them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan. And they did – they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines’.

His comments triggered outrage, with ministers dispensing with diplomatic protocol. Al Carns, the Armed Forces minister and a former commando who served five tours in Afghanistan, said Britain had fought ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with US troops after America asked Nato allies to come to its aid following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Mr Carns raged: ‘This is utterly ridiculous. We shed blood, sweat and tears together. Not everybody came home. I’d suggest whoever believes these comments come have a whisky with me, my colleagues, their families and importantly, the families of those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for both of our nations.’

Calvin Bailey, Labour MP and a former RAF Wing Commander, was awarded a US Air Medal for serving with American special ops in Afghanistan. He blasted: ‘The notion that we weren’t in and amongst the front line, albeit I was a pilot, is for the birds.’

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, meanwhile, accused the President of talking ‘flat-out nonsense’, adding: ‘Their sacrifice deserves respect, not denigration.’ Sir Jeremy Hunt, former foreign secretary, called Mr Trump’s remarks ‘totally unacceptable, factually wrong and deeply disrespectful’. 

In his response to the US President, Sir Keir said: ‘I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country. If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise.’

Diane Dernie, the mother of ex-Paratrooper Ben Parkinson who is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to have survived in Afghanistan, decried Mr Trump as ‘a childish man trying to deflect from his own actions’.

Ex-paratrooper Mr Parkinson, now 41, suffered horrendous injuries when an Army Land Rover hit a mine near Musa Qala in 2006. 

Ms Dernie added: ‘Come and look at the life that Ben leads – 19 years on, still fighting for his care, still fighting to have a decent life, recovering from a recent operation. [Keir Starmer] has got to stand up for his own Armed Forces, and he’s got to absolutely refute what Donald Trump said.

‘Call him out. Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag.’

British Army soldiers from the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment get ready to patrol during strike operation Southern Beast on August 4, 2008 in Maywand District in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to survive in Afghanistan, decried Mr Trump as ‘a childish man trying to deflect from his own actions’

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: ‘Trump avoided military service five times. How dare he question their sacrifice.’

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage – a personal friend of the President – wrote on X: ‘Donald Trump is wrong. For 20 years our Armed Forces fought bravely alongside America’s in Afghanistan.’ The US is the only Nato member to have invoked the collective security provisions of Nato’s Article 5 clause – that an attack against one member is an attack on all.

It was triggered after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001, which led to a US-led invasion of Afghanistan that lasted 20 years.

The UK’s 457 military deaths was the second-highest toll after America’s 2,461 deaths.

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said: ‘Nato’s Article 5 has only been triggered once. The UK and Nato allies answered the US call. And more than 450 British personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan. Those British troops should be remembered for who they were: heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation.’ 

Health minister Stephen Kinnock said Mr Trump’s comments were ‘deeply disappointing’ and he was ‘sure [Sir Keir] will be raising this issue with the President’. 

But No10 sources said there were no plans for the PM to phone Mr Trump or summon the US ambassador for a dressing down at the Foreign Office.

Lucy Aldridge, whose rifleman son William Aldridge, 18, was Britain’s youngest soldier to die in Afghanistan, in 2009, said: ‘We live the trauma daily for the rest of our lives. Trump is so out of touch with the reality and what it costs in human life. He has no compassion whatsoever for anyone who doesn’t serve him.’

Even mortified US veterans joined in the condemnation. Ben Hodges, the former Commanding General of the US Army in Europe, told Times Radio: ‘This is about as angry as I’ve been in quite some time… I hope that people listening to the programme will not think that all Americans believe that. There’s no American soldier that believes what our President said.’

There was no reaction to the furore from Mr Trump, who instead spent his day posting on social media about his wife Melania’s upcoming Amazon documentary and a cold weather front set to hit the US this weekend.