Boris Johnson rejects offer of one-to-one meeting with Donald Trump
1 min read
Boris Johnson has turned down the offer of a one-to-one meeting with Donald Trump.
The US president made the offer during a "friendly and productive" 20-minute phone call with the former Foreign Secretary on Monday evening.
But Mr Johnson told him he was attending a Tory leadership hustings on Tuesday evening so there was no time for them to meet up.
The Uxbridge MP is due to be quizzed alongside some of his leadership rivals at the event, which has been organised by the 'One Nation' group of Tory MPs.
A source close to Mr Johnson said: "Trump called Boris and offered a one-to-one meeting.
"Boris thanked him but declined the invitation as he has to focus on the hustings event that was happening at the same time, which the president understood. He said he looked forward to catching up at a later date."
President Trump, who has already said he believes Mr Johnson will make an "excellent" Prime Minister, is also seeking a private meeting with Michael Gove.
His eagerness to meet one-to-one with the two leadership rivals is in marked contrast to his reluctance to meet Theresa May alone during his state visit to the UK.
The president and Prime Minister held talks at St James's Palace, but were joined by their officials and ministers.
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