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Peter Mandelson backtracks on 'ill-judged' Trump criticism after being appointed US ambassador

Labour grandee, now Keir Starmer’s representative in Washington, described the Republican as a ‘danger to the world’ in 2019

Kate Devlin
Whitehall Editor
Wednesday 29 January 2025 11:25 EST
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The UK’s new ambassador to Washington has claimed that Donald Trump has won “fresh respect” as he sought to disown his previous criticism of the US president.

Peter Mandelson described the Republican as a “danger to the world” in 2019.

But hours after it emerged that President Trump had approved his appointment, he told Fox News: “I consider my remarks about President Trump as ill-judged and wrong. I think that times and attitudes toward the president have changed.”

Referring to his second election as president, Lord Mandelson said: “I think that he has won fresh respect. He certainly has from me, and that is going to be the basis of all the work I do as His Majesty’s ambassador in the United States.”

Peter Mandelson described Donald Trump as a ‘danger to the world’ in 2019
Peter Mandelson described Donald Trump as a ‘danger to the world’ in 2019 (AFP/Getty)

He added that with the many threats and challenges the world faces, it takes “courage, somebody, sometimes, who's prepared to be argumentative and, indeed, disruptive, not just take business as usual”.

"Frankly, I think President Trump could become one of the most consequential American presidents I have known in my adult life," he added.

Mr Trump was said to be considering rejecting Lord Mandelson’s nomination, in what would have been a major diplomatic headache for Sir Keir Starmer.

The Independent revealed last week that the extremely rare move was under consideration and that a decision was set to be made this week.

While Lord Mandelson has been allowed to take up his post, it is understood that it will still come with conditions and the peer “will be kept on a short leash”, in part because of his past links with China.

In the interview, Lord Mandelson tried to draw a line under the recent difficulties and suggested that the UK and the US would “find common ground” over the next four years.

"They're not Siamese twins, President Trump and Prime Minister Starmer, but they're both pragmatic people. They know where each is coming from, they want to find common ground," he said. "I feel very optimistic. I feel very upbeat about the relationship that they’re both going to have."

The Labour grandee also highlighted that he is a politician, not a career civil servant, a rarity in the role.

"The president isn't a career diplomat, and I'm not a career diplomat," he said. "I came into politics to change things for the better for people, and so did he.

"We share a similar, if not identical, outlook on the world and motivation in politics. But I think above all, we believe in something which is really special between our countries," he added. He said his top priorities would be to work with the US on trade, tech and defence partnerships, particularly in the face of countries like China.

"I think that the United States and Britain, working together, can outsmart and keep ahead of the curve as far as China is concerned," he said. "[Trump] wants a dialogue with China, he wants to do deals with China. But he's also not going to be naive about China.

"We face a challenge together from China, and we've got to make sure that we are able to deter that challenge or that threat when they’re having aggressive intents toward us," he added.

He added: "Security in the Euro-Atlantic area depends on making sure that China is kept at bay in its own region. China has the right to prosper, to generate higher standards of living for its own people, but not at the expense of others."

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