The revelation came with a warning that Sir Keir has “turned the special relationship toxic”, as sources suggested the prime minister had ignored demands by the Trump transition team that Peter Mandelson not be appointed.
The anger is such that one source said Mr Trump may use his veto to block the choice, though this is seen as unlikely. It is understood that the Trump team stopped answering calls from UK representatives after the news broke.
The Independent revealed on Friday the Trump team’s rage at the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson – nicknamed the Prince of Darkness – as the ambassador in Washington. Soon after the announcement, Mr Trump’s recent campaign coordinator, Chris LaCivita, posted on X that Lord Mandelson is a “moron”.
He wrote: “This UK government is special. Replace a professional universally respected ambassador with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD! Mandelson described Trump as a danger to the world and ‘little short of a white nationalist’.”
Now it has emerged that he was given permission to insult Lord Mandelson by the president-elect himself, according to insiders.
"Trump gave permission for Chris La Civita to put out that tweet," a source close to the president-elect told The Independent.
This story is from the December 22, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the December 22, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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