Donald Trump criticised Theresa May for not listening to him about the best way to proceed with the UK’s exit from the European Union. In a thunderous tweet, he said it is “good news” the UK will soon have a new Prime Minister. In a further dig at Mrs May, he added “it was the Queen who I was most impressed with” during his state visit to the UK last month.
What a mess she and her representatives have created. I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way
The US President tweeted: “I have been very critical about the way the UK 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 US. 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.
Donald Trump has launched a stinging attack against Theresa May and Sir Kim Darroch (Image: GETTY)
“While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent state visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!”
The latest criticisms from Mr Trump come following yet another weekend of high drama on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Foreign Office has begun an investigation after it emerged Sir Kim had said the US President was “insecure”, “inept” and ran a “uniquely dysfunctional” White House in private memos that have been leaked.
Downing Street said Mrs May has “full faith” in the UK’s ambassador to the US after the huge breach in confidentiality triggered a political firestorm.
But despite appearing to throw support behind Sir Kim, Number 10 distanced itself from his withering assessment of Mr Trump.
Donald Trump said it the Queen who impressed him most during his recent state visit to the UK (Image: GETTY)
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing on Monday morning: “The Prime Minister has full faith in her ambassador to Washington.
“Our ambassadors provide honest, unvarnished assessments of politics in their country, those views are not necessarily the views of ministers or indeed of the Government.
“As the Foreign Secretary has said, this leak is not acceptable.
“We would expect such advice to be handled in the correct way and a leak inquiry has been launched.”
Sir Kim Darroch’s criticisms of Donald Trump have infuriated the US President (Image: PA)
Asked if Mrs May agreed with the contents of Sir Kim’s leaked assessment of the Trump administration, the spokesman said: “The Prime Minister does not agree with that assessment.”
Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told MPs he had written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to “ask that a criminal investigation also be opened into the leak”.
Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said police could be involved if evidence of wrongdoing over the leak is found, telling the House of Commons on Monday: “If evidence of criminality is found, then yes, the police could be involved.”
Mr Fox, who is visiting the US, told the BBC: “This is such a damaging, potentially damaging, event that I hope the full force of our internal discipline, or even the law, will come down on whoever actually carried out this particular act.”
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is competing against Boris Johnson to become the UK’s next Prime Minister, said he did not agree with all the views expressed by Sir Kim and insisted Britain has the “warmest” of relationships with the US.
Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Office, Mr Hunt said: “It’s a personal view and there will be many people in this building who don’t agree with that view and indeed I don’t agree with some of the views that we saw in those letters.
“I think the US administration is highly effective and we have the warmest of relationships and a partnership based on standing up for shared values.”
Jeremy Hunt said the UK and US have the ‘warmest of relationships’ (Image: GETTY)
Speaking to the Public Accounts Committee, Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, also warned significant damage had been caused by the leak.
He told reporters: “The ambassador has not served the UK well, I can tell you that.
“We are not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well. So I can understand it and I can say things about him but I won’t bother.”
