Trump’s second term more worrying due to ‘dangerous’ foreign policy – ​​former diplomat

In an interview with Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Lord Kim Darroch said he believed the British government would find it “difficult” to deal with Donald Trump and that Tuesday’s debate between the two presidential candidates could be “decisive” for the election.

Lord Darroch said on the show that he thought Kamala Harris had given a “mixed performance” at previous events and that although Mr Trump was “not really a great debater”, he had a “very strong presence”.

In July 2019, Lord Darroch was forced to resign from his post in the US after news leaked to the press in which he described the Trump White House as “incompetent” and “dysfunctional”.

Asked by moderator Sir Trevor Phillips whether his views had changed since he described Mr Trump’s administration as “inept and unsafe”, Lord Darroch said: “I am more worried about a second Trump term than his first because, firstly, he will be better prepared.

“He will have a better understanding of how to push through his agenda.

“Secondly, foreign policy, that’s my area, his views on Ukraine, his comments on NATO, his threats to impose tariffs on the rest of the world.

“This is all very dangerous stuff.”

Lord Darroch went on to say that Mr Trump was not a “great politician” and that his speeches were “mainly a catalogue of his grievances with some very vague references to what he might do as President”.

Of the Democratic candidate, Lord Darroch said: “I think she can expose a lot of the utter nonsense he tells about his own record and the state of the American economy and America during his presidency.”

“But she must have certain defenses against the attacks he will surely launch against her.

“And she also has to – I think this is more difficult, if I may say so, for a woman – strike the right tone, not sound angry in any way.”

Asked by Sir Trevor whether he believed negative comments by British politicians about Trump could damage relations between the two countries, Lord Darroch said the former president was not a “sentimentalist” about the “special relationship” between the two countries and that Britain had “received no special deals or favours from him” during Trump’s first term in office.

He continued: ‘I think he is being informed because he always wants to know what people have said about him, what some senior Labour politicians have said about him.

“I don’t think Keir Starmer has been that critical on Twitter or anywhere else.

“And I think the British government will do its best, but it will be difficult with him.

“I mean, all European governments will realize this.”

Sir Trevor then asked Lord Darroch about the Prime Minister’s upcoming trip to Washington and his advice on what he should do and what he should “look out for” during his visit.

Lord Darroch replied: “I think he needs to talk to Biden about Ukraine because what the West is doing at the moment is giving Ukraine just enough to make sure it doesn’t lose.

“Not enough to win.”

He continued: “I think he needs to ask Biden: Is there more you can do?

“Although Biden is doing everything he can to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip because it risks escalating the situation in the rest of the Middle East.

“And secondly, it does enormous damage to the West’s relations with the so-called global South.”

Mrs Harris and Mr Trump will meet in person on Tuesday evening at the presidential debate in the US city of Philadelphia.

The debate will be broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 and is the first direct duel between the two candidates in the campaign ahead of the November election.