'Pompous fool': Donald Trump renews attack on 'wacky' UK ambassador
The US president again slams Sir Kim Darroch following the leak of a series of diplomatic memos from the UK's man in Washington.
Tuesday 9 July 2019 17:31, UK
Donald Trump has renewed his attack on the UK's ambassador to Washington, describing him as "wacky", "very stupid" and "pompous".
In a series of messages on Twitter, the US president said Sir Kim Darroch had been "foisted upon the United States" and is "not someone we are thrilled with".
A series of diplomatic messages sent by the ambassador were leaked at the weekend, in which Sir Kim described Mr Trump as "incompetent", "inept" and "insecure".
The revelation has provoked the ire of America's 45th president, who in recent days has said Sir Kim has "not served the UK well", claimed "I do not know the ambassador" and that Washington "will no longer deal with him".
And he has used his favourite method of communication, Twitter, to renew his attack.
Mr Trump wrote: "The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy."
Prime Minister Theresa May also came in for more criticism, with Mr Trump having on Monday accused her of making a "mess" of Brexit.
The president continued: "He should speak to his country, and Prime Minister May, about their failed Brexit negotiation, and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was handled.
"I told @theresa_may how to do that deal, but she went her own foolish way-was unable to get it done. A disaster!
"I don't know the ambassador but have been told he is a pompous fool.
"Tell him the USA now has the best Economy & Military anywhere in the World, by far and they are both only getting bigger, better and stronger.....Thank you, Mr. President!"
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At a weekly cabinet meeting earlier, Mrs May told her ministers it was "absolutely right" that they continued to give their full support to Sir Kim.
Mrs May told her top team that the leaked messages did not reflect the closeness of the relationship with the US.
Number 10 said the PM stressed it was important ambassadors were able to give "honest and unvarnished" assessments to ministers.
"She said it is absolutely right that we continue to give Sir Kim Darroch our full support," Mrs May's official spokesman said.
"The ambassador remains in post and continues to carry out his duties with full support of the PM."
Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson said he had a "good relationship" with Washington.
"I think it's very important that we have a strong relationship with our most important ally," he said.
"The United States is, has been, will be for the foreseeable future the number one political, military friend and partner. "
The House of Commons' foreign affairs committee has launched an urgent inquiry into the Foreign Office's secure communications and handling of classified information following the leak.
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the committee, has written to Mrs May, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to call for an immediate inquiry to identify the source of the leak and for criminal investigations by the police.
Meanwhile, a former UK ambassador to the US has accused Mr Trump of "lying", as he hit out at the "disgraceful" leak of the memos.
Sir Christopher Meyer told Sky News that Mr Trump's claim that he did not know Sir Kim was a "falsehood".
He also expressed scepticism at the US president's assertion that Washington "will no longer deal with" the ambassador.
Asked for his response to the president's claim that he doesn't know Sir Kim, Sir Christopher told Sky's All Out Politics: "I think he's lying again, actually. I think it's a falsehood, isn't it?
"Of course he knows Kim. I mean, do they know each other intimately well? I don't know the answer to that. But he certainly knows him.
"I'm no psychiatrist. But I think what happens with Trump is when he wants to hit back, he will roll over, crush pieces of truth that he doesn't want to be there. And so against all the evidence he says I don't know Sir Kim Darroch.
"But we know he knows Sir Kim Darroch, because we've got video of it. I think this is very Trumpian."
Sir Christopher, who was the UK's man in Washington from 1997 to 2003, said Sir Kim had "done nothing wrong, full stop".
"What he has done is used highly classified cables and other forms of communication to send a very candid assessment of the White House and its present incumbent," he said.
"That is what an ambassador is paid to do. He has behaved completely professionally."
Sir Christopher described the leak as "disgraceful" and the culprit was "clearly somebody who wants to destroy Sir Kim's ambassadorship and have him replaced as soon as possible."
"Some people may think it serves the public interest, it actually damages the national interest," he said.