By Aaron Miller-
President Trump has recommended Boris Johnson as prime minister during an interview with The Sun Newspaper.The recommendation was incontrovertibly motivated by a desire to reciprocate the good comments made by the ex Foreign Secretary for saying ”very good things” about him. During the interview with The Sun Newspaper, Trump claimed Johnson would make a good prime minister and said he was saddened to see him go, stating he hopes he would come back at some point. The weakness is Trump’s claim was his later comment that Johnson likes him and has said good things about him.
Trump said: “I have a lot of respect for Boris. He obviously likes me, and says very good things about me.
“I was very saddened to see he was leaving government and I hope he goes back in at some point.
“I think he is a great representative for your country.”
Asked if the ex-minister could be in No 10 one day, he replied: “Well I am not pitting one against the other.
I am just saying I think he would be a great Prime Minister.
“I think he’s got what it takes.”
Recommendation for prime ministerial position or any post should never be based on nice comments said about the one making such recommendation. Such comments can be considered to be disingenuous and does not convey a professionally competent assessment of Johnson, who resigned from his post of Foreign Secretary over Brexit talks. Johnson had previously expressed praise for Trump for his bombing of Syria after they used chemical weapons and his pursuit of peace talks with North Korea. He also praised his pressure on the EU to boost defense spending.
Trump sparked much criticism in the aftermath of the Paris attacks and made the claim: ‘We have places in London and other places that are so radicalized that the police are afraid for their own lives.
‘We have to be very smart and very vigilant.’
Boris Johnson at the time responded by describing Trump’s comments as ”ridiculous”: ‘As a city where more than 300 languages are spoken, London has a proud history of tolerance and diversity and to suggest there are areas where police officers cannot go because of radicalization is simply ridiculous.
‘I would welcome the opportunity to show Mr Trump first hand some of the excellent work our police officers do every day in local neighbourhoods throughout our city.
‘Crime has been falling steadily in both London and New York – and the only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.’ Johnson also said he felt Trump was unfit to lead America, adding that he was ”playing the game of terrorists”. Following Trump’s announcement of a Muslim ban to the United States, Johnson added that he felt Trump was ”out of his mind” if he felt that was the right way to proceed. However, time is a healer, and Johnson has since been complimentary about the U.S president, prompting a U turn in their relationship. Trump’s visit has already sparked protests across the Uk, and the outspoken U.S president has already sparked mass criticism from Mp’s for his open attack on London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his criticism of Theresa May’s Brexit approach which the U.S president described as a soft Brexit approach that demonstrated the UK prime minister had failed to heed his advice. Further outrage and alarm was sparked when Trump indicated that it could ruin trade relations between the Uk and the U.S.
Trump has since claimed he has a good relationship with Theresa May, but critics will see that as camouflage coming too late in his early visit to Britain. Many journalists in the Uk have not lost their cynical perception of the most powerful man in the world who struggles to balance good judgement with his vocal proclivities.