Peter Mandelson has said his past remarks that Donald Trump was “a danger to the world” were “ill-judged and wrong” before his expected confirmation as ambassador to the US.
Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday morning, Lord Mandelson said Trump had won “fresh respect” with his “dynamism and energy”.
Mandelson’s volte-face came amid reports he had received his diplomatic “agrément” – or agreement in principle – from the US to serve as the UK’s ambassador to Washington, despite concerns in Trump’s team about his links to China and the client list of his consultancy, Global Counsel.
Foreign Office officials said that, barring any unexpected obstacles, Mandelson would be formally confirmed in his role next month.
Mandelson, a former Labour minister who now sits in the House of Lords, has also been critical of Trump in the past, describing him as a “bully” and “reckless and a danger to the world”.
Speaking to Fox News, Mandelson said: “I consider my remarks about President Trump as ill-judged and wrong. I think that times and attitudes toward the president have changed since then.”
“I think people have been impressed not just by the extraordinary second mandate that he has received from the American people, but the dynamism and energy with which he approached not just the campaign but government as well,” he added.
“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.”
Asked about reports of concerns in Trump’s team about his appointment, Mandelson said: “I’ve heard nothing from the president or the White House or anyone working for him that suggests that there’s going to be any difficulty about my appointment.”
He added: “I’ve been appointed as his majesty the king’s ambassador in the United States. That means I’m both his and my country’s representative in the US.
after newsletter promotion
“I think that as an experienced and longstanding friend of the US as I am, I think that President Trump will look at my credentials and consider what’s best for the relationship going forward. I think, you know, the president is a nice person, he’s a fair-minded person, and that’s why I feel quite confident.”
Chris LaCivita, a campaign aide to Trump, described Mandelson as “an absolute moron” in December and questioned why Keir Starmer was replacing the “professional, universally respected” outgoing ambassador, Karen Pierce, who built links with Trump. Government sources stressed that LaCivita was not due to have any role in Trump’s administration.
Mandelson is known to have strong connections in China and has held meetings with senior Chinese Communist party figures as recently as 2023. The Guardian revealed that Global Counsel worked for Shein, the Chinese fashion company, until early last year. The company has lobbied for TikTok, which is banned on government devices in the US, UK and EU.
The Nightly, an Australian news outlet, reported this week that a dossier on Mandelson’s China links compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) had been handed by US senators to the FBI.
Source: theguardian.com
