Britain’s ambassador to the United States resigned Wednesday after memos in which he described the Trump administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional” leaked to the press.
Kim Darroch, who has served as Britain’s envoy to the US since 2016, submitted his resignation letter Wednesday after President Trump tweeted that the US would no longer deal with him.
“Since the leak of official documents from this embassy there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador,” Darroch said in his resignation letter. “I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like.”
“Although my posting is not due to end until the end of this year, I believe in the current circumstances the responsible course is to allow the appointment of a new ambassador,” he wrote.
Darroch called Trump admin ‘inept’:
The resignation comes after Darroch’s comments criticizing the Trump administration to senior British officials in leaked secret cables obtained by The Daily Mail.
Darroch wrote in various memos that Trump may be indebted to “dodgy Russians” and expressed concern that his economic policies would cripple the global trade system.
“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,” he wrote, adding that he doesn’t believe the White House will “ever look competent.”
Writing about allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Darroch wrote that “the worst cannot be ruled out.”
Writing about the administration’s Iran policy, Darroch described Trump’s policy moves as “incoherent” and “chaotic.”
Darroch also dismissed Trump’s claim that he aborted a missile strike against Iran because it would have killed 150 people.
“It's more likely that he was never fully on board and that he was worried about how this apparent reversal of his 2016 campaign promises would look come 2020,” he wrote.
Trump blacklisted Darroch after leak:
Trump said that the US would no longer deal with Darroch on Twitter while linking Prime Minister Theresa May’s handling of Brexit to the ongoing tensions between the White House and London.
“I have been very critical about the way the U.K. 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 U.S. We will no longer deal with him,” he wrote Monday. “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 wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy,” he ranted on Tuesday. “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.”
