Donald Trump says US will no longer deal with UK ambassador as row over leaked cables intensifies
3 min read
Donald Trump has accused Theresa May of making a "mess" of Brexit as he declared America will no longer have any dealings with the UK's ambassador to Washington.
In a major escalation of the row over the leaking of top-secret cables in which Sir Kim Darroch criticised the US administration, President Trump said it was "good news" that Mrs May will soon be replaced as Prime Minister.
He said Sir Kim - who described his government as "inept" and "uniquely dysfunctional" in emails sent back to London - was "not liked or well thought of within the U.S".
And in a direct swipe at Mrs May, the President said he had been "most impressed with" the Queen during his recent state visit to the UK, rather than her.
A furious diplomatic row erupted after the cables were revealed by the Mail on Sunday. President Trump said the amassador had "not served the UK well” with his comments.
In response, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "The Prime Minister has full faith in her ambassador to Washington."
But in comments posted on Twitter on Monday, President Trump revealed the full extent of his anger at the contents of the cables.
He 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 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!"
The Cabinet Office is carrying out a leak inquiry into how the cables were released to the media.
Downing Street has also said that the police could mount their own investigation if any criminality is discovered, amid claims the leaker could have broken the Official Secrets Act.
Responding to the President's tweets, a government spokesperson said Mrs May was standing by Sir Kim.
"We have made clear to the US how unfortunate this leak is. The selective extracts leaked do not reflect the closeness of, and the esteem in which we hold, the relationship," the spokesperson said.
"At the same time we have also underlined the importance of ambassadors being able to provide honest, unvarnished assessments of the politics in their country.
"Sir Kim Darroch continues to have the Prime Minister’s full support. The UK has a special and enduring relationship with the US based on our long history and commitment to shared values and that will continue to be the case."
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