Piers Morgan, Prince Harry call on Trump to apologize for insulting British troops in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, DC: Broadcaster Piers Morgan and Prince Harry have demanded that President Donald Trump apologize after he claimed British troops “stayed back” and avoided "frontline" fighting in Afghanistan.

The remarks, made during a Davos interview as Trump questioned NATO’s role, also sparked strong criticism from British leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“We’ve never needed them,” Trump said of NATO. “We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan or this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, little off the front lines."

Trump criticized by Piers Morgan and Prince Harry 

British presenter Piers Morgan, who appeared on Trump’s show 'The Apprentice' in 2008, retweeted a post from Royal Marine Ben Mcbean, who is recovering in the hospital with a missing leg. “Trying to convince myself and my parents I’ll be fine after fighting a bit further back from the front line,” the original post read.

Morgan wrote, “Says it all. President Trump needs to apologise – to Ben and all NATO personnel who served alongside US forces in Afghanistan, especially those killed and wounded.”

Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan and now lives in California, issued a statement urging respect for the soldiers and their families.

He shared, "I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed. Thousands of lives were changed forever." 

He continued, "Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost." He continued, "Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defense of diplomacy and peace."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemns Trump's remarks

Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Trump’s remarks as “insulting, and frankly, appalling,” and other British politicians joined in criticizing the comments.

Starmer shared on Friday, January 23, "I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised they caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured.” He concluded by saying, "If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise."

British journalist Anushka Asthana posted that she “asked the White House about Keir Starmer’s comments that Donald Trump’s suggestion re European troops staying back from the frontline in Afghanistan were insulting – and suggesting he should apologise.”

She shared the response from White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly: “President Trump is right — America’s contributions to NATO dwarf that of other countries, and his success in delivering a five percentage spending pledge from NATO allies is helping Europe take greater responsibility for its own defense."

Roman Polko, a retired Polish general and former special forces commander who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said, "We expect an apology for this statement." He added, "[Trump] has crossed a red line. We paid with blood for this alliance. We truly sacrificed our own lives."