This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
The U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. whose leaked memos revealed he secretly trashed the Trump Administration has resigned, according to the U.K. Foreign Office.
In the leaked memos, Sir Kim Darroch, a top British diplomat, called President Donald Trump “inept,” “insecure” and “incompetent,” the Daily Mail had reported over the weekend, and at one point said the Trump Administration could “crash and burn” and be “at the start of downward spiral.”
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted about Darroch, saying, “The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy. 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…”
The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy. 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…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2019
The Trump Administration will “no longer deal” with the U.K. Ambassador to the U.S., President Trump had announced on Monday.
“[…] I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the U.S.,” Trump tweeted on Monday. “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 leaked memos drew wide criticism and speculation that Darroch would step down, although he initially showed no signs of doing so.
In one memo, Darroch wrote, “We don’t really believe this Administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept,” and added that he doubted the White House would “ever look competent.”
In another memo about the Iran conflict, he wrote, “It’s unlikely that U.S. policy on Iran is going to become more coherent any time soon. This is a divided Administration.”
A 2017 memo attacked Trump directly, and Darroch said, “For a man who has risen to the highest office on the planet, President Trump radiates insecurity.”
After the report got out, Trump had told Reuters, “We’ve had our little ins and outs with a couple of countries, and I would say that the U.K. – their ambassador has not served the U.K. well, I can tell you that. We are not big fans of that man, and he has not served the U.K. well. So, I can understand it and I can say things about him, but I won’t bother,” Fox News reported.
