President Biden gave departing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson the chilly shoulder in an preliminary assertion reacting to Johnson resigning his place Thursday — failing to even point out the outgoing chief’s identify.
“The UK and america are the closest of buddies and Allies, and the particular relationship between our individuals stays sturdy and enduring,” Biden stated within the assertion, obtained by CBS Information.
“I stay up for persevering with our shut cooperation with the federal government of the UK, in addition to our Allies and companions around the globe, on a variety of vital priorities,” the president continued. “That features sustaining a robust and united strategy to supporting the individuals of Ukraine as they defend themselves towards [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s brutal battle on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions.”
Biden’s assertion is a pointy shift from these made by his predecessors in response to the resignations of earlier British prime ministers.
In 2016, when David Cameron stepped down as PM following the Brexit referendum, President Barack Obama referred to as him “an excellent good friend and companion on the worldwide stage” in a speech at Stanford College’s World Entrepreneurship Summit.
Three years later, President Donald Trump stated he felt “badly” for Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa Could, after she resigned for failing to get Parliament on board along with her proposed deal permitting the UK to depart the EU.
“I really feel badly for Theresa. I like her very a lot,” Trump informed reporters on the time. “She’s lady. She labored very arduous. She’s very sturdy. She determined to do one thing that some individuals had been stunned at, some individuals weren’t. It’s for the great of her nation. However I like her very a lot.”
In 2007, when Tony Blair handed the reins of energy to his longtime lieutenant Gordon Brown, President George W. Bush hailed Blair as a “political determine who's able to pondering over the horizon.”
“I've discovered him to be a person who’s stored his phrase, which generally is uncommon within the political circles I run in,” Bush stated on the time, in accordance with Reuters.
“When Tony Blair tells you one thing, as we are saying in Texas, you may take it to the financial institution,” Bush added.
It's unclear why Biden made no point out of Johnson within the assertion. The White Home didn't instantly reply to The Submit’s request for remark.
When requested by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if he had any response to Johnson’s resignation, Biden responded, “No, it’s part of the method.”
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that the US alliance with the UK stays “sturdy” and that cooperation between the 2 nations — significantly concerning navy assist to Ukraine — would change “by no means”.
Johnson, who has been in workplace since 2019, stated Thursday that he'll stay in his position till a successor is appointed, a course of which may take a number of weeks.
The prime minister’s resignation got here after a string of controversies chipped away at belief in his management — most notably the “Partygate” scandal, which led to Johnson being fined for breaching COVID-19 lockdown guidelines set by his personal authorities.
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