Jeremy Hunt hits out at ‘disrespectful’ Donald Trump after Twitter outbursts at Theresa May
3 min read
Jeremy Hunt has condemned Donald Trump over his “disrespectful and wrong” Twitter tirade at Theresa May and the UK’s ambassador to Washington.
The US President branded the Prime Minister “foolish”, and called Sir Kim Darroch “very stupid” and a "pompous fool" in an outburst over leaked cables criticising his administration.
It came after President Trump said Sir Kim - who described his government as "inept" and "uniquely dysfunctional" in the cables - was "not liked or well thought of within the U.S".
The commander-in-chief also declared that the White House would no longer work with the ambassador after his views on the administration were leaked to the Mail on Sunday.
In response, Mr Hunt both committed to keeping Sir Kim as Ambassador if he becomes the next PM later this month and condemned his comments.
In a tweet, the Foreign Secretary wrote: “@realDonaldTrump friends speak frankly so I will: these comments are disrespectful and wrong to our Prime Minister and my country.
“Your diplomats give their private opinions to @SecPompeo and so do ours! You said the UK/US alliance was the greatest in history and I agree...
“But allies need to treat each other with respect as @theresa_may has always done with you. Ambassadors are appointed by the UK government and if I become PM our Ambassador stays.”
President Trump's comments came hours after describing Theresa May’s handling of Brexit as a “mess” because she had ignored his advice on how to deal with Brussels.
Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the race for Number 10, stopped short of condemning his ally's latest intervention, while insisting he was not embarrassed by his "good relationship" with him.
Asked whether the President was right to criticise Mrs May's handling of Brexit, he replied: “Myself, I have said some pretty critical things about the Brexit negotiations so far and that’s one of the reasons I am standing tonight and one of the reasons I am putting myself forward.
"I think there is a chance to do things differently, a chance to break away from the failed old can-kicking approach.
"Now is the time to really get a grip on this. Stop being so defeatist in our approach to the EU negotiations and maybe be a lot more positive about our country and what it can do.”
The Cabinet Office is carrying out a leak inquiry into how the cables were released to the media, while Downing Street has said that the police could mount their own investigation if any criminality is identified.
Before President Trump's latest tweets emerged, Mrs May discussed the row with her Cabinet during their weekly meeting.
Her spokesman said: "The UK has a special and enduring relationship with the United States based on our long history and commitment to shared values...
“She said it is therefore absolutely right that we continue to give Sir Kim Darroch our full support.”
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