[ad_1]
Former British Ambassador to the United States, Lord Darroch, says Boris Johnson is fascinated by Donald Trump, has likely been inspired by the President of the United States, and is intrigued by his American counterpart’s unequal relationship “to facts and truth.” .
In a new book published in The Times, Lord Darroch also said Johnson must share the blame for his resignation as ambassador to Washington, which followed the leak of diplomatic cables disparaging Trump.
Lord Darroch wrote that Johnson had been “fascinated” by Trump on his visits to Washington as foreign secretary before he became prime minister, with particular emphasis on the use of language by the president.
This includes “the limited vocabulary, the simplicity of the messages, the disdain for political correctness, the sometimes inflammatory images and the intermittent relationship, at best, with facts and truth,” the former diplomat writes.
In an interview accompanying the excerpts, Lord Darroch was asked if any of those characteristics had been infected with Johnson.
“From what I hear from colleagues,” he replied, “this government pays a lot of attention to presentation, to language.
But if you go over the history of the current prime minister, he has often said quite surprising things. And he never apologizes.
“So Boris could have done this anyway, but certainly, having seen Trump in action, he would not have been discouraged.”
Trump had also viewed Johnson as “a kindred spirit,” according to the former ambassador.
Lord Darroch also says he told Johnson he was partly to blame for his resignation from his Washington post, following a cable leak in which the ambassador said Trump was “inept” as president.
Johnson, then running for Conservative leadership, repeatedly refused to say he would keep him in office during a televised debate on July 9 last year.
Lord Darroch resigned the next day and spoke to Johnson on the phone.
“He said, ‘But why did you quit? Wouldn’t everything have disappeared after a few weeks? Lord Darroch told the newspaper.
In response to Mr. Johnson’s question as to whether the resignation was his fault, Lord Darroch told him that “in part it was.”
After Lord Darroch left the diplomatic service after a distinguished 42-year career, Trump responded with a variety of epithets, calling him “the crazy ambassador,” “pompous,” and “a very stupid guy.”
[ad_2]