Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump over his recent criticism of outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May.
- "@realDonaldTrump friends speak frankly so I will: these comments are disrespectful and wrong to our Prime Minister and my country," Hunt said via Twitter.
- This came in concert with an ongoing fued over leaked diplomatic cables showing the British ambassador to the US describing Trump as "inept."
- Trump has responded by lambasting Sir Kim Darroch, the UK ambassador in Washington, and attacking May’s handling of Brexit.
- Visit Business Insider’s home page for more stories.
The "special relationship" has hit a rough patch of late.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday lambasted President Donald Trump for what he called "disrespectful" comments toward Prime Minister Theresa May and the United Kingdom.
This came amid ongoing fallout over leaked diplomatic cables in which the UK’s ambassador to the US referred to Trump as "inept."
"@realDonaldTrump friends speak frankly so I will: these comments are disrespectful and wrong to our Prime Minister and my country," Hunt said via Twitter.
"Your diplomats give their private opinions to @SecPompeo and so do ours! You said the UK/US alliance was the greatest in history and I agree but allies need to treat each other with respect as @theresa_may has always done with you. Ambassadors are appointed by the UK government and if I become PM our Ambassador stays," Hunt added.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from INSIDER.
Trump on Monday ripped into May over her handling of Brexit, or the UK’s exit from the European Union, as he vowed to no longer "deal" with Sir Kim Darroch — Britain’s ambassador in Washington.
"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," Trump tweeted of the UK ambassador.
The president added, "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."
May’s handling of Brexit and inability to convince British lawmakers to get on board with her plans ultimately led her to resign, and she’s set to be replaced in the near future.
Trump followed up his attacks on Darroch and May with tweets on Tuesday morning, describing the British ambassador as "a very stupid guy" and "wacky." The president went on to say the ambassador should speak to May "about their failed Brexit negotiation, and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was handled."
Meanwhile, the British government has so far stood by Darroch despite the controversy and Trump’s apparent dismay over the ambassador’s views of his presidency and administration.
In the leaked diplomatic cables to London, obtained by the British outlet The Daily Mail, Darroch reportedly said, "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."
NOW WATCH: Why the US border facilities are ‘concentration camps,’ according to historians
See Also:
- Trump called ‘disrespectful and wrong’ after branding Theresa May ‘foolish’ and her US ambassador a ‘very stupid guy’
- Trump says he will ‘no longer deal with’ the UK ambassador after leaked cables showed the British diplomat criticizing the president
- Leaked diplomatic cables from the UK’s ambassador to the US called Trump ‘inept,’ ‘insecure,’ and ‘incompetent’
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (John Haltiwanger)