UK’s trade minister has messed up big time. It’s one thing to think someone is a bit shit, but it’s another thing entirely to be caught talking about a head of state on an official channel.
Britain’s ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch described President Trump as “dysfunctional” and “inept” on leaked diplomatic cables.
Now, Britain’s Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox who is in the US on a visit will apologise to Ivanka Trump at their scheduled meeting. Talk about an awkward setting.
The US president obviously responded by saying “we’re not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well”.
.@realDonaldTrump says the British ambassador to the US is not serving the UK well pic.twitter.com/TK8KWjssdL
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) July 7, 2019
This is a major concern for the UK as it could potentially damage their relationship with their close ally.
The Foreign Office has said that it is investigating a leak of memos that detail Sir Kim Darroch’s assessments of the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. The UK has been in total damage control mode over the comments made by their ambassador. It comes at a time when the Conservative party are trying to elect their next Prime Minister to succeed Theresa May.
Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt tried to appease the situation and said that Sir Kim’s comments were based on his “personal opinions” and not the views of the British government.
The opposition in the UK however has come out in Darroch’s support and has said that he was “only doing his job”.
“He has been hung out to dry, even though his only crime was to tell the truth”
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry says diplomat Sir Kim Darroch was doing “his job” when he called the Trump administration “inept” in leaked emailshttps://t.co/RcroWb0rt2 pic.twitter.com/Gd6Wpu92GP
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) July 8, 2019
CNN has even brought forward the difference in the Trump administration’s dealing with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and the UK ambassador.
Pres. Trump says he will no longer deal with UK ambassador who called him “inept”
“If you’re an American ally and you criticize the President and the administration … you’re done. But if you’re literally a murdering dictator, you get love letters,” says CNN's Erin Burnett. pic.twitter.com/6LeZl5iIa8
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) July 9, 2019
Since the cables were leaked, Trump has refused to have any dealing with the said ambassador. Issuing a series of tweets the US President said:
I have been very critical about the way the U.K. and Prime Minister Theresa May handled Brexit. What a mess she and her representatives have created. I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way. I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2019
….thought of within the U.S. We will no longer deal with him. The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister. While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2019
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