Incoming UK ambassador walks back comments on ‘danger’ of Trump: ‘Ill-judged and wrong’

EXCLUSIVE – Newly appointed U.K. ambassador to the U.S., Lord Peter Mandelson, is readying himself to instrumentality up the apical occupation of preserving the "special relationship" agelong championed by London and Washington, but archetypal he’s looking to acceptable the grounds straight. 

In an exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital, Mandelson, erstwhile asked astir erstwhile comments helium made regarding the precocious re-elected president, including successful 2019 erstwhile helium said President Donald Trump was "a information to the world," said his sentiment of the president had changed.

"I see my remarks astir President Trump arsenic ill-judged and wrong," helium said. "I deliberation that times and attitudes toward the president person changed."

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"I deliberation that helium has won caller respect," helium added successful notation to Trump's 2nd predetermination arsenic president. "He surely has from me, and that is going to beryllium the ground of each the enactment I bash arsenic His Majesty's ambassador successful the United States."

The incoming ambassador’s comments travel amid reports that the U.K.-U.S.’s "special relationship" could beryllium enactment to the test, and Mandelson’s assignment whitethorn beryllium blocked by the White House. 

Mandelson rejected these claims and said, "I've heard thing from the president oregon the White House oregon anyone moving for him that suggests that there's going to beryllium immoderate trouble astir my appointment."

But speculation connected the reliability of the U.S. successful that trans-Atlantic narration remains precocious pursuing comments made by officials from Trump’s campaign, arsenic good arsenic by adjacent state and tech titan Elon Musk.

Musk, who engaged successful a societal media spat leveled astatine British Prime Minster Keir Starmer earlier this month, is not successful Trump’s Cabinet, but helium has been charged with overseeing the caller Department of Government Efficiency.

Despite the antagonistic societal media banter by those who person Trump’s ear, the president and Starmer engaged successful an seemingly affable telephone telephone implicit the play – suggesting Trump whitethorn look to prioritize the U.S.-U.K. partnership.

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"They're not Siamese twins, President Trump and Prime Minister Starmer, but they're some pragmatic people. They cognize wherever each is coming from, they privation to find communal ground," Mandelson said. "I consciousness precise optimistic. I consciousness precise upbeat astir the narration that they’re some going to have."

Mandelson is the archetypal non-career diplomat to instrumentality up the occupation arsenic main U.K.-U.S. liaison successful implicit fractional a century. That could beryllium beneficial for Mandelson erstwhile up against Trump, who has long strayed from engaging successful accepted diplomacy.

"The president isn't a vocation diplomat, and I'm not a vocation diplomat," Mandelson said. "I came into authorities to alteration things for the amended for people, and truthful did he.

"We stock a similar, if not identical, outlook connected the satellite and information successful politics. But I deliberation supra all, we judge successful thing which is really peculiar betwixt our countries," helium added, pointing to the enduring narration betwixt the U.S. and U.K.

Mandelson said his main priorities volition beryllium to enactment with the U.S. connected trade, technological developments and defence partnerships – peculiarly successful the look of adversarial powers similar China.

"I deliberation that the United States and Britain, moving together, tin outsmart and support up of the curve arsenic acold arsenic China is concerned," the incoming ambassador said. "[Trump] wants a dialog with China, helium wants to bash deals with China. But he's besides not going to beryllium naive astir China. 

"We look a situation unneurotic from China, and we've got to marque definite that we are capable to deter that situation oregon that menace erstwhile they’re having assertive intents toward us," helium added. 

Mandelson championed the trilateral confederation shared by the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, established with the intent of countering China’s aggression successful the Indo-Pacific. 

"Security successful the Euro-Atlantic country depends connected making definite that China is kept astatine bay successful its ain region," helium said. "China has the close to prosper, to make higher standards of surviving for its ain people, but not astatine the disbursal of others."

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Mandelson argued that contempt planetary apprehensions implicit definite information uncertainties nether the Trump administration, the U.K. does not stock successful these concerns.

"There are truthful galore threats and challenges the satellite is facing astatine the moment. It takes courage, somebody, sometimes, who's prepared to beryllium argumentative and, indeed, disruptive, not conscionable instrumentality concern arsenic usual," helium detailed.

"Frankly, I deliberation President Trump could go 1 of the astir consequential American presidents I person known successful my big life," Mandelson said.