Marcus Rashford was lively against Uruguay, while Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon currently appears favourite to start in that position at the World Cup, with Arsenal forward Noni Madueke also comfortable on both flanks.

Tuchel has spoken about Foden as an unorthodox deputy for captain Harry Kane as a central striker, but this would surely be too much of a stretch. The World Cup is no place for wild experiments.

It all leaves Foden as one of the players whose place on the plane to the United States is uncertain, wondering if a big opportunity had passed him by against Uruguay.

England’s struggle to impose themselves on Uruguay meant it was a testing night for those wanting to impress.

“There’s no-one out there in a red shirt that looked over to the bench and said, ‘I’m ready. I’m going to America. I want a ticket for that plane’,” said ex-England goalkeeper Paul Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Manchester United’s Harry Maguire made the most of his recall in defence with a solid display, capped by two brave, crucial blocks in the closing stages as Uruguay pressed for an unlikely winner.

He is now a serious contender for the squad, especially with fitness doubts continuing to surround John Stones. Tuchel may also find Maguire’s experience at major tournaments crucial.

James Trafford had little to do on his debut in goal, while another making his first full appearance, Everton’s James Garner, was tidy and made a good impression. Whether it is enough for a World Cup place is another matter.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke worked hard in attack as he pressed his claim to be understudy to Kane, but Leeds United’s Calvert-Lewin – whose last appearance was five years ago – will bitterly regret his missed opportunity with the scoreline goalless.

Princess Beatrice has had a tough few months, with her parents’ links to Jeffrey Epstein being exposed and her dad Prince Andrew being arrested

Princess Beatrice has endured a difficult few months. Initially, her disgraced parents faced removal from their Royal Lodge residence due to their connection with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, then her father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, and now speculation has emerged suggesting that her marriage is facing difficulties.

Following the most recent release of Epstein documents which exposed the full extent of the relationship between Epstein, Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson, attention has been firmly focused on the York family. Sarah Ferguson has maintained a low profile, while Andrew has established a mobile home at his Sandringham residence, reportedly to accommodate staff working around the clock. Sarah has been stripped of her “Freedom of the City of York” honour after a unanimous vote.

Meanwhile, their daughters Beatrice and Eugenie have been drawn into the consequences after their names appeared in the vast number of documents released by the US Congress in the Epstein files. The documents suggest that their association with Epstein – evidently initiated by their parents – was a prolonged one. Mentions in the Epstein files do not indicate wrongdoing.

One exchange from 2011, three years after his conviction for sex trafficking a minor, showed a correspondent, believed to be Ferguson, tell him how Beatrice believes he should be free to move on with his life. The email was sent after Ferguson publicly denounced Epstein to journalist Geordie Greig, while secretly staying in touch.

“Beatrice and I had a discussion and we agreed it was important to call Geordie back and make sure he understood the severity of NOT making a mistake and getting it wrong about Jeffrey, because he was sent to prison for sexual offending, but that he had done his penance and was out of jail and moving on with his life,” the email read. “And Geordie was NOT in anyway to go down the P. route. I duly did the call, and Lee Ashley Johnson was also witness to that call as well as Beatrice.”

A separate exchange from 2010 reveals Epstein enquiring whether there was “any chance” of either sister “saying hello” to an unnamed individual visiting London. In 2015, an unknown account emailed Epstein noting that Beatrice would be joining a group holiday to Mexico. “Oops…in Mexico on the group trip with DK, founder of Twitter etc. and it turns out princess Beatrice will be joining us too.”

“I can see the headlines already. 🙂 Do you still talk to them?” the sender wrote, reports the Mirror. Epstein replied, “she likes me its ok.”

Initially, it appeared that the rest of The Firm was rallying behind the sisters. Both attended Christmas at Sandringham alongside their royal relatives, and there was speculation that Andrew had even agreed to vacate Royal Lodge on the condition that they would be permitted to remain within the family fold.

Since then, however, it has been reported that despite King Charles’s fondness for his nieces, they are no longer welcome at Royal Ascot — and may even skip the annual Easter Sunday church service, as well as forthcoming royal garden parties.

A source told the Daily Mail: “Beatrice and Eugenie are particularly vulnerable at the moment. As they are dragged further into the Epstein web, the King is shifting his stance on the girls’ future. Although they aren’t implicated in any of Epstein’s wrongdoings, their own association with him threatens to tarnish the reputation of the throne.”

It has been suggested that the two sisters are coping with this development in markedly different ways. “Both girls are very highly strung and emotional, like their mother,” a source told the Mail.

“Beatrice is trying to come to terms with it matter-of-factly although can’t help bursting into tears regularly – not for her father but for the implosion of her own world and, especially, the family’s cold shoulder. Her royal status means more to her than Eugenie.”

Eugenie, meanwhile, “has apparently gone into denial – fingers in the ears, head in the sand, hoping it will all go away”. The scandal is said to have placed considerable strain on the marriages of those involved.

Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, has reportedly refused to allow her now-homeless mother Sarah to move into their Portuguese home. A source close to the family revealed that Jack adheres to a “code of honour” which means he won’t “completely desert Andrew and Sarah”, but equally won’t “step into the line of fire himself”.

“His first loyalty has to be to his wife and their two young children. The whole sordid affair has already brought them a great deal of unwarranted attention, and he won’t do anything to increase that,” the source told The Mail. The head of a consultancy firm is said to be concerned about the potential damage the scandal could inflict upon his business, fearing his family will be “tainted by association”.

“Jack has worked very hard building his business, and it’s going well, so the last thing he needs is for the Epstein scandal to taint that,” the source added. “He will do everything he can to keep his head below the parapet because of that.”

The couple are reportedly anxious that Ferguson will not request to move in with them. A further source claimed: “Eugenie and Jack are resisting any suggestion from her mother that she should come and live with them.

“Because, to be frank, Sarah is difficult to live with and they don’t want the responsibility of looking after her at the moment. That’s not to say they are not concerned about her welfare – they just don’t actually want her to be living with them, even temporarily.”

Meanwhile, speculation has emerged regarding potential difficulties in the marriage of Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 42. Beatrice, 37, has been wed to Edoardo since 2020 when they married in a socially distanced ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have two daughters together, Sienna, four, and Athena, one, alongside Edo’s son Christopher ‘Wolfie’ – nine years old – from his previous relationship with Dara Huang.

The couple have not been photographed together in recent weeks and speculation intensified after Edoardo departed her side during a challenging period to travel 4,500 miles away to Palm Beach, Florida. There, he shared Instagram photographs of himself savouring a rosé against the backdrop of an elegant hotel courtyard.

As the co-founder of a property development and design firm – Banda – one ‘former associate’ told the Mail that his professional standing soared after he began a relationship with Beatrice back in 2019: “When they first got together, Edo wasn’t nearly as successful. Being adjacent to royalty was transformative.”

Back in 2019, accounts from Companies House indicated the design arm of the business was £244,000 in debt – yet it now boasts a turnover of £2.2 million. Nevertheless, Edo’s close friends maintain he would never trade on his wife’s name or her family connections.

A source has now made the claim that there is a “noticeable distance” between the pair in the wake of the Epstein scandal, suggesting that “things haven’t been great for a while between them, [but] Beatrice is determined to soldier on and forge a path through this crisis.”

The source further alleged that he “seems more and more distracted by work and travel… just when she needs him most, he’s been pulling away”. Yet an insider told the Mirror that such claims were entirely wide of the mark, with a source close to the couple dismissing any suggestion that their marriage is in trouble.

“This is nonsense,” the source stated, while a second contact told Hello magazine that the businessman’s recent travels had nothing whatsoever to do with the ongoing furore surrounding Andrew and Fergie – insisting instead that the couple face the same pressures as countless other parents who must travel for work.

“The only thing Bea and Edo are navigating are their busy jobs and looking after their children! They’ve both had recent stints working abroad and like so many working parents, have balancing work with looking after the kids,” they said. “Recent reports that things aren’t good between them are not true at all. Things are great between them and the only distance between them recently has been physical distance because of work!”

The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has asked independent experts in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to look again at the decision not to vaccinate teenagers. There have been separate calls to consider an immunisation programme for university students because of their greater risk.

Amir Bhatti was the clinical lead at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust’s (CDDFT) breast cancer surgery service when a damning report exposed a ‘decade of missed warnings, ignored red flags, and systemic failures’.

In a statement on Thursday (March 26), the GMC said: “We are aware of the concerns that have been raised.”

Amir Bhatti (Image: SUPPLIED)

The GMC added that it only confirms publicly available information about individual doctors as it appears on the medical register, but does not confirm if it is investigating a doctor unless they have interim restrictions.

Mr Bhatti is registered with a licence to practise with no restrictions on his registration, according to the GMC.

The Northern Echo previously reported that Mr Bhatti was responsible for breast cancer surgery at the trust, and was also director of an outsourced private clinic, which an investigation revealed was paid a share of nearly £6 million over six years to treat women.

A Darlington Memorial Hospital sign (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Between 2022 and 2024, 8,000 of 13,500 referred breast cancer patients were seen in outsourced clinics operating on a “pay-per-patient” basis, through companies including Durham Surgical Services, of which Mr Bhatti was a director.

Mr Bhatti ran NHS “two-week-wait” clinics at Darlington Memorial Hospital, University Hospital North Durham, and Spire Hospital in Washington, through companies including Durham Surgical Services.

An investigation found the trust paid nearly £6 million over six years to private out-of-hours clinics, including a company that Mr Bhatti was a director of.

A spokesperson for Mr Bhatti previously said that “serving the best interests of all our patients is of paramount importance” and when things go wrong “, we learn from this and make the necessary changes and improvements”.

The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that Mr Bhatti is still employed by the trust, but he is no longer clinical lead for the breast service.

Dr Shafie Kammaruddin, acting medical director at CDDFT, has said that the NHS Trust will “support the police with any information they require”.

Dr Kammaruddin added: “Mr Bhatti is currently restricted from any clinical duties.

The University of North Durham Hospital (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

“This means that he is not seeing patients or providing any clinical care or treatment.

“We recognise the concerns being raised and understand the importance of transparency.

“We are taking the concerns seriously, and are following the appropriate processes.

“As part of the Trust’s ongoing review into the breast surgery service, there is an active investigation underway.

“While this process is ongoing, we are not able to share further details. 

Darlington Memorial Hospital (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

“We will take account of any further information we receive and will support the police with any information they require.”

In a follow-up statement, the trust confirmed that Mr Bhatti remained on full pay.

A spokesperson for CDDFT said: “In line with trust policies and contractual terms and conditions of employment, where an employee is restricted or excluded from duties while formal processes are underway, they continue to receive full pay.

“While we are committed to being as open and transparent as possible, it would not be appropriate to comment on individual employment matters.”

Mr Bhatti also operated on patients at the private practice, Washington Spire Hospital.

Spire Hospital in Washington (Image: Stuart Boulton)

However, Spire has confirmed that the doctor isn’t currently practising clinically at Spire Washington, and they are not currently conducting a recall into his patients.

However, Spire has confirmed that the doctor isn’t currently practising clinically at Spire Washington, and they are not currently conducting a recall into his patients.

The review follows a critical report by the Royal College of Surgeons in March 2025, which raised serious concerns about the service and prompted a full redesign.

The report found a decade of missed warnings, ignored red flags, and ‘systemic failures’.

The review, commissioned by the trust and carried out by governance expert Mary Aubrey, concluded that “the governance arrangements within the breast surgery service were inadequate, inconsistent, and failed to ensure patient safety”.

A new report presented to the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) board on Wednesday (March 25) outlined significant improvements to the service, alongside the latest findings from its ongoing “look-back” review into patient care.

So far, 578 cases have been identified, with 357 reviewed. Of those, 45 involved moderate harm and nine involved more serious harm, including one death.

The review focuses on cases from 2023 to early 2025, but discussions are ongoing about widening its scope, with input from legal advisers, patient groups, regulators and other NHS trusts.

Around 1,500 cases are now under review in total, with more than 1,000 still outstanding, and additional independent clinical reviewers are being recruited to speed up the process.

Pizza and bread sold in 10 states, including a focaccia from Trader Joe’s, have been recalled over concerns that metal shards may be found in the products.

Meal-kit company Hello Fresh’s Basil Pesto and Mozzarella Pizza is one of several products recalled because of “metal fragments in bread,” according to a notice from the Food and Drug Administration.

Trader Joe’s Focaccia Bread with Roasted Tomato & Parmesan is also part of the recall.

The FDA said Bakkavor, a North Carolina-based company that is recalling the products, found metal fragments in “various bread products.”

“They determined the cause to be roasted tomatoes provided by one of their ingredient suppliers,” the FDA said.

Other recalled products include Frederik’s by Meijer Slow-Roasted Tomato & Shredded Parmesan Cheese Focaccia Bread and Fresh & Simple Roasted Tomato & Parmesan Focaccia sold by Food Lion.

The FDA said the recalled products were distributed to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

Bakkavor, which has been acquired by Greencore USA, issued the recall in January, but there was no press release. The FDA issued a classification for the recall earlier this week, deeming it a Class II recall.

A Class II recall is when the product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences” or when the “probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” according to the FDA.

The Independent has reached out to Greencore for comment.

Trader Joe’s has also recalled several of its frozen products over concerns over glass contamination. The recalled products include Chicken Fried Rice, Vegetable Fried Rice, Japanese Style Fried Rice and Chicken Shu Mai.

“If you have packages of the products listed above, please do not use them. Please discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund,” the retailer said in a message to customers.

The new site represents a significant investment in India and will enhance Croda’s supply capabilities, improve responsiveness to customer demand and support future growth in high-value sectors. 

Located in Gujarat, the facility benefits from strong logistics connectivity and is designed to serve both domestic customers and selected export markets. It will support demand across Croda’s Consumer Care, Life Sciences and Industrial Specialties sectors. 

Built around the theme ‘Built Green. Built Smart. Built for the Future’, Croda says the Dahej site has sustainability embedded from the outset. It has been designed to significantly reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions, enabled by renewable electricity and fuel sources.

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Additional features include Zero Liquid Discharge systems that are expected to become operational later in the year, the use of RSPO-certified oleochemicals and alignment with Extended Producer Responsibility plastic recycling requirements. 

The site has also been developed with advanced operating systems, robust quality infrastructure, and high safety standards to enable reliable, efficient manufacturing. During construction, the project achieved over 5 million safe working hours, reflecting Croda’s ‘Safety First Always’ culture. 

In addition, the facility supports Croda’s commitment to inclusion, with 100% women-led packaging operations and an ambition to achieve 30% female representation at the site. 

Steve Foots, Group Chief Executive said: “This investment in Dahej is a clear demonstration of Croda’s commitment to the Indian market. The site combines strong sustainability credentials with high safety and operational standards, positioning us to better serve customers in India and beyond. 

“We see significant long-term growth potential in the region and this facility provides a strong platform to support that ambition.” 

Murali Duvvuri, Senior Managing Director, Life Sciences – Asia & Region India, added: “India is a strategically important market for Croda, and this investment brings us closer to our customers while strengthening local manufacturing capability. The Dahej site enables us to deliver high-quality, sustainable solutions with greater speed, reliability and flexibility, supporting our customers’ growth and innovation needs.” 

Peter Coffey said the incident happened at around 2pm on Saturday, March 21, near the junction of Wigan Road in the Deane area, after returning from the shops.

Several armed officers were present (Image: Public)

He said: “They searched me and my bags outside my house.

“It was like something out of America with ICE agents they were dressed all in black, armed, and just seized me.”

Mr Coffey said multiple police vehicles pulled up suddenly before Greater Manchester Police armed officers approached him.

Armed officers reportedly acted on a suspected gun report before releasing the man (Image: Public)

He added: “They pulled up and there were a few vehicles on the junction — next thing, they’re on me.

According to Mr Coffey, officers told him they were acting on reports of a man with a suspected gun and that he “partially resembled” the suspect.

He described the encounter as “absolutely shocking” and said he was grabbed without warning.

“They were all armed, dressed in black, and just grabbed me without saying anything,” he said.

Mr Coffey claims he was handled forcefully and detained in handcuffs for several minutes.

He said: “They were very aggressive.

“They grabbed hold of me with force and handcuffed me. I’m 67 it was frightening.”

He was held for around five minutes before being released, with no further explanation given at the scene.

“They just left onto the next one.” he added.

Mr Coffey later went to a police station to query the incident but said he was left confused by the response he received.

The 67-year-old described the encounter as “frightening” after officers detained him (Image: Public)

He claims the police said there was no record of any report relating to a man with a firearm in the Bolton area and said officers were unable to provide clear answers.

He added: “For someone to have a gun in public is very serious and prompted a rapid response force.

“To then deny it later is confusing.

A number of people contacted The Bolton News saying that police were in the Wigan Road area at the time Mr Coffey says he was stopped by police.

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident.

Savannah Guthrie, who will return on April 6 as co-host of NBC’s “Today” show after a nearly two-month absence sparked by the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, said in an interview that aired on Friday that “joy will be my protest.”

Guthrie, speaking with colleague Hoda Kotb, said that while it’s hard to imagine returning to a place of joy and lightness, she wants to try, even as she acknowledged she’s not sure she can do it or if she’ll belong anymore.

“I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back, because it’s my family,” Guthrie said. “I think it’s part of my purpose right now. I want to smile and when I do, it will be real and my joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer. And being there is joyful and when it’s not, I’ll say so.”

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. The FBI released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie’s front door in Tucson on the night she vanished. Authorities have not released new evidence publicly in weeks.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mother.

Savannah Guthrie, who’s co-hosted NBC’s morning show since 2012, pulled out of covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which began just days after her mother’s disappearance.

Abductions are rare. The vast majority of people who are reported missing are believed to be runaways — not kidnapped or abducted. Throughout all of 2024, the latest year that the National Crime Information Center published data, over 530,000 missing person records were entered. Roughly 95% of the hundreds of thousands of cases filed in 2024 were believed to be runaways and only 1% were listed as abducted.

Savannah Guthrie, acknowledging her mother is among the many missing, donated to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The organization on Thursday highlighted the cases of three children who disappeared in Arizona — Jimmy Hendrickson in 1991, Karen Grajeda in 1996 and Jesse Florez in 2001.

“We encourage everyone to stay alert,” the center said in a statement. “It’s up to the public to keep their eyes open. You never know when the next lead will be the one that brings someone home.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that tips are still coming in on Nancy Guthrie but at a declining rate. The FBI says it’s no longer revealing the number of tips it receives daily in the investigation. Portions of Kotb’s interview with Savannah Guthrie were released over multiple days this week. In the videos, Guthrie said she and her siblings knew their mother didn’t wander off, given her medical condition, and that doors were propped open at her house. Authorities also discovered blood and a missing camera near the doorstep.

Some media outlets reported receiving ransom notes tied to the case. Guthrie and her siblings responded to two that they believed were real and offered to pay money. Guthrie said her celebrity status might be the reason her mother was taken, but that possibility was “too much to bear.”

She again appealed for information, saying the family can’t be in peace or move forward with healing without knowing what happened to their mother.

“How can someone vanish without a trace?” Guthrie asked. “How? Someone knows something. Even if that something is someone’s been acting strange for the last seven or eight weeks. Even if it’s just that. Somebody knows. And maybe somebody’s afraid and I understand that, but our hearts are in agony.”

___ Associated Press writer Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Riley’s Fish Shack, located on the beach at King Edward’s Bay in Tynemouth, was recommended by The Good Food Guide for its classic wood-fired sourdough wraps and chilli fish empanadas, to name a few.

The coastal Tyne and Wear foodie spot was born from owners Adam and Lucy Riley’s passion for “fresh, honest healthy seafood”.

The husband-and-wife team said they thought there was a “real shortage” of this in their hometown.

They continued on the Riley’s Fish Shack website: “There’s so much seafood caught here, much of which people don’t know is available or which of it truly is local”.

Rick Stein recently praised Riley’s when appearing on The Travel Diaries podcast and spoke about his enjoyable visit.

He said: “The thing I like about it, is as I said, it’s right down on the beach, built out of two shipping containers and it just does local fish.

“But it has this really lovely dish that I had, crab soufflé with thermidor sauce.”

Rick added: “I mean they are young people running it, you know really hard working, but it just had this fantastic atmosphere, because it was sort of impromptu.

“It was cold when we were there but they had these little sort of coal fires built in into the wall near where you sat but it just sort of had, a great atmosphere.”

But why is The Good Food Guide raving about it right now?

The Tynemouth fish restaurant named among the UK’s best

The foodie publication revealed in the review: “During the summer season, you can now hire a deckchair from Riley’s and eat their food on the beach (they will also sell you a blanket to use and take home if the weather’s breezy).

“The location – a glass-fronted shipping container facing the North Sea – is spot-on for a menu inspired by the owners’ stints as street-food vendors.

“Seasonal seafood is the deal, and the day’s dishes (and service times) often depend on the catch.

“Items are rubbed off the blackboard as they sell out, although Riley’s classic wood-fired sourdough wraps (served in their famous ‘floppy’ cardboard boxes) are a fixture – perhaps BBQ Craster kippers, bavette steak or ‘hot plate’ hake with caper butter.”

It continued: “Otherwise, the line-up might run from chilli fish empanadas via salt cod with grilled cos lettuce, smoked egg and preserved lemon to pan-roasted headliners such as turbot ‘chop’, lemon sole or brill (served with panzanella salad).

“Round off with one of Riley’s special soft-serves (wood-fired pineapple or peaches and cream, say).

“A dozen wines are served in plastic tumblers, there are plenty of ales from regional breweries and the venue also does a good line in homemade beverages (try the hot butter rum).”

At Riley’s Fish Shack, its all-day menu includes dishes such as oysters, bread sticks and seaweed butter, fishcakes, empanadas, fish rillette, smoked haddock brandade, crab souffle, Cajun haddock with remoulade and fish soup with rouille.

The day’s dishes at Riley’s often depend on the catch (Image: Tripadvisor)

Meanwhile, the lunch and dinner menus offer a variety of larger and whole fish dishes such as halibut chop bouillabaisse with mussels, cod on French onion and smoked beef dripping, whole grilled turbot with Riley’s classic preserved lemon and caper butter, whole brill with Cafe de Paris butter, the famed bang bang monkfish kebabs or monkfish curry, scallops, and langoustines.

See all spring and summer opening hours on the website (a link to which can be found above).

Over on Tripadvisor, Riley’s Fish Shack has an impressive 1,179 “excellent” reviews out of a possible 1,823.

This recent customer complimented: “What a place … still…. Never disappoints.

“There attentive, passionate and care about the customers and the food… WELL ILL SAFELY SAY THE BEST SEAFOOD IN ENGLAND!

“Its not pretentious, you dont have to be rich…its accessible for all but the quality is outstanding … what a team..”

Someone else put: “Had been so looking forward to my first visit…and it exceeded my expectations!

“Loved the whole experience. Will be back, soon hopefully!”

This happy visitor shared: “We went on a cold, windy February night midweek – open fires by our table kept us warm whilst we waited (not long enough!) for our food.

“It was incredible – great fish, great atmosphere, great staff – 5/5. We’ll be back ASAP.”

Have you recently been to this must-visit North East seafood spot? Let us know in the comments below if you have any other recommendations to share.

President Donald Trump described a phone call about custom-made Sharpies at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting — but a spokesperson for the pen brand told The Washington Post the conversation he recounted didn’t happen.

“We don’t have any information about the conversation described. We’re proud to be a beloved brand trusted by so many globally,” a spokesperson for Newell Brands, which makes Sharpies, told the outlet.

The Independent has contacted the White House and Newell Brands for comment.

Trump launched into his Sharpie anecdote about an hour into his latest Cabinet meeting, where administration officials were discussing several pressing topics, including the Iran war and the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

“This pen is very inexpensive, but it writes well, I like it,” Trump said, holding up a marker. “But I can’t have the pen the way it was — you know what it is? I don’t want to give too much publicity, but they do treat me well, Sharpie.”

The president then complained about how he was handing out expensive pens after signing events.

“So, I came here, they have $1,000 pens. And you know, you hand pens out, you’re signing and you hand them out. You’re handing them to all these people, sometimes you have 30 or 40 people and they were $1,000 a piece,” he said.

Trump said he “felt guilty,” and wanted to find a way to save money.

“I want to save money, so I’m saying, ‘This is crazy.’ And I had another problem; they didn’t write well. So, I take it out and I sign it and there’s no ink and I’ve got all you people looking and you’re saying, ‘There must be something wrong with Trump.’ I’m signing and there’s no ink in the pen and it cost $1,000,” he explained.

“That’s when I called the guy. I said, ‘I’d like to use your pen, but I can’t have a gray thing with a big S on it saying ‘Sharpie’ as I’m signing a $1 trillion airplane contract to buy brand new fighter jets,’” he added.

After a brief aside about former President Joe Biden and his “autopen,” Trump continued: “He said, ‘Well, I can make it nicer.’”

“‘I said, ‘What can you do?’ He said, ‘I’ll paint it black.’ I said, ‘That’s nice.’ ‘And I can even paint the White House on it, sir, if you like, in gold.’ Almost real gold, not bad. ‘And I can even do your signature, sir.’”

Trump then briefly turned to other topics, including the Federal Reserve building, before returning to Sharpies.

The president said: “So the guy said to me, ‘You don’t have to pay me, sir, I’ll give them to you for nothing.’ I said, ‘No, I don’t want that. Let me pay you. I want to pay you.’ ‘No, sir, you don’t have to. You’re the president of the United States.’”

“He was shocked — the head of Sharpie gets a call, I don’t even know who the hell he is. He said, ‘Is this really the president?’ He said, ‘No, you don’t have to pay me, sir. This is such an honor.’ I said, ‘Nope, I want to pay you.’”

“He said, ‘What would you like to pay?’ I said, ‘How about five bucks a pen?’ He said, ‘That’s all right.’ Whatever the hell we agreed to, peanuts as opposed to $1,000.”

Trump called the anecdote a “business story.”

“So, for $5 — it could be zero — but for $5 I get a much better pen than for $1,000. And I can hand them out and actually they become hot as a pistol,” he said.

Social media users were quick to react to Trump’s anecdote.

“Ohhhhkaaayyy,” writer Tom Nichols posted on X.

“Wow. I’m going to be saying ‘WTF?’ all day long,” another user wrote.