But Starmer certainly seems all too eager to please his host, and there is widespread speculation that there will be an announcement on Trump visiting the UK and addressing the Houses of Parliament as well as a possible Royal visit to the US – both of which should help the prime minister curry favour with his US counterpart.
Mandelson has now started his term as UK ambassador to the US and will be a key figure this week hosting a party on Thursday night but ahead of his appointment, Trump’s team were briefing hard that his credentials could be refused while Trump himself was being publicly generous and gracious about Starmer.
But Trump’s love of the Royal family and the apparent desire for the King or Prince and Princess of Wales to have an official visit may yet prove to be Sir Keir’s trump card.
Sir Keir will be working hard to prevent the latter but it has also been clear for some time that Trump thinks he can push the UK into a US friendly trade deal, or as one insider put it “have Britain over a barrel” in the negotiations.
But the likelihood of a royal visit to the US and Trump getting the full honours including the elusive addressing the Houses of Parliament when he comes to the UK were involved.
