In a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump blasted the United Kingdom’s decision to hand over the Island of Diego Garcia to Mauritius – an agreement his administration had previously supported.
Trump announced on Truth Social:
Shockingly, our “brilliant” NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness.
These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before. The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING. Thank you for your attention to this matter. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 20, 2026
CBS News explained:
The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius, which was then a British colony, in 1965.
The U.K. purchased the islands for the equivalent of around $4 million, CBS News partner BBC News reported, but Mauritius had long argued that it was forced to give the islands away in order to achieve its independence in 1968. The U.K. invited the U.S. to build a military base on the island of Diego Garcia, and it has become a cornerstone of American defense infrastructure in the vast Indian Ocean region.
In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding ruling that called on the U.K. to give up control of the Chagos Islands, saying it had wrongfully forced out the people living on Diego Garcia to make way for the military base.
That ruling, in part, prompted the deal reached in 2024 for the U.K. to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. As part of the agreement, Britain got to maintain control of the military base on Diego Garcia through a 99-year lease, at a cost to the U.K. of about $136 million per year.
However, many are pointing out that the Trump administration had previously supported the deal.
On May 22, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had posted a statement on X: “The U.S. welcomes the historic agreement between the UK and Mauritius on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. This agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia, which is critical to regional and global security. We value both parties’ dedication. The U.S. looks forward to our continued joint work to ensure the success of our shared operations.”
The U.S. welcomes the historic agreement between the UK and Mauritius on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. This agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia, which is critical to regional and global…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 22, 2025
On the same day, the State Department had confirmed support for the agreement in a press release, which reads:
Today, the United States welcomed the historic agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory—specifically, the Chagos Archipelago.
We commend both the United Kingdom and Mauritius for their leadership, vision, and commitment to ensure that Diego Garcia remains fully operational for the duration of this agreement. We look forward to working closely with both governments to strengthen our collaboration in support of regional peace and stability.
Following a comprehensive interagency review, the Trump Administration determined that this agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia. This is a critical asset for regional and global security. President Trump expressed his support for this monumental achievement during his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer at the White House.
This milestone reflects the enduring strength of the U.S.-UK relationship—a relationship that, as demonstrated by the U.S.-UK trade deal announced on May 8, extends far beyond defense to encompass economic growth, innovation, and shared global leadership.
Although the United States is not a party to this agreement, we remain responsible for operating the U.S. Naval Support Facility on Diego Garcia, which continues to play a vital role in supporting forward-deployed operational forces and advancing security across the region.
The United States values its partnership with both the United Kingdom and Mauritius, and we stand ready to continue our collaboration to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and beyond.
Believe it or not, I had just looked this up because @Nigel_Farage mentioned Diego Garcia in an interview with Speaker Johnson.https://t.co/7pYSpe9uTJ
— Niels Lesniewski (@nielslesniewski) January 20, 2026
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