UK leaders unite against Trump's attacks on their ambassador

Trump’s attacks on U.K. Ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch have managed to unite two of the United Kingdom’s top political rivals.

Both Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson are vying to be the next U.K. prime minister, and during a debate on Tuesday, both men admonished Trump for his childish reaction to leaked cables from Darroch

“Who the U.K. chooses is a matter for the United Kingdom. … If I am prime minister, Ambassador Darroch stays,” Hunt said in response to a question about whether or not Darroch should continue as ambassador.

In response to the same question, Johnson called out Trump for getting in the middle of internal U.K. politics. “I don’t think — he was dragged into a British political debate. I don’t necessarily think it was the right thing for him to do,” Johnson said.

The controversy started with a series of leaked cables in which Darroch described Trump as a man who “radiates insecurity” and whose administration is “inept.” Darroch also dinged the Trump administration for having “incoherent” policy objectives and highlighted ties to “dodgy Russian financiers.”

In typical Trump fashion, Trump began attacking Darroch with a series of increasingly childish insults.

On Monday, Trump said that even though he didn’t know Darroch, Darroch is “is not liked or well thought of within the U.S.,” and “has not served the U.K. well.”

But Tuesday morning, Trump ramped up his attacks, calling Darroch “wacky,” a “very stupid guy,” and a “pompous fool.” In between insults of Darroch, Trump criticized Prime Minister Theresa May’s handling of Brexit for no discernible reason.

The rivalry between Hunt and Johnson runs deep, with Johnson boasting he could beat Hunt in a naked mud-wrestling contest, and Hunt calling out Johnson’s “cowardice” for avoiding televised debates.

But the two men competing to lead the United Kingdom were able to find common ground on one issue: a distaste for Trump’s inept attempts to influence who the U.K. selects as their ambassadors.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.