Trump told to keep shtum – but will he?
DONALD TRUMP’S advisers fear he may not be able to stop himself intervening in the UK election when he visits London for a Nato summit next week, despite a plea from Boris Johnson.
The US president has been informed that Mr Johnson does not want him to offer his support publicly, amid fears an endorsement could end up harming the Prime Minister’s chances, and improving those of Jeremy Corbyn.
But an insider told The Sunday Telegraph that Mr Trump may ignore the advice on the spur of the moment because he finds it hard to understand why his support would not be welcome.
“He’s got the advice – but he doesn’t have to take it. He gets to do his own thinking,” a person close to the president said. “He’s very much a big fan of Boris Johnson, and the president won’t think he’s harming anyone else by telling everyone what he thinks.
“He wants to help Boris Johnson, not hurt him. But he doesn’t really completely understand why this [publicly backing Mr Johnson] is a concern.” As to the protocol of not giving an opinion on allies’ elections, Mr Trump was said to “not think he’s breaking any rules” by doing so.
Mr Johnson diplomatically said this week that “allies and friends” should not “get involved in each other’s election campaigns”.
Senior Conservatives are said to be nervous that fulsome praise from Mr Trump could backfire. According to YouGov only 18 per cent of Britons have a positive opinion of the US president, with 67 per cent holding a negative one.
In late October Mr Trump publicly waded into UK politics, saying Mr Corbyn would be “so bad” for the UK, and advising Mr Johnson to agree a pact with Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.
Asked if the president would intervene similarly again, a senior White House official said: “No. He [the president] is well aware of this. He likes Boris Johnson personally, but he’s absolutely cognizant of not wading into other country’s elections.”
An effort to keep Mr Johnson and Mr
‘He doesn’t understand why backing Johnson is a concern. He does not think he’s breaking any rules by doing so’
Trump at arm’s length ahead of the election means there is no scheduled oneon-one meeting at the summit, celebrating 70 years of Nato.
Mr Trump does have bilateral meetings planned with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, and probably the leaders of Italy and Denmark. He will have a “working lunch” with Mr Johnson and other leaders.
A US official did not rule out a bilateral meeting, or joint press conference with Mr Johnson. “That’s something we’re still working on,” the official said.
At the summit Mr Trump is expected to prioritise demands for further increased defence spending by allies. He will tell them not to get involved with Huwaei, the Chinese technology giant, and say Nato should focus on increasing threats in cyberspace, and space.
Mr Trump will also host a private event for American expats in London, which is expected to raise $3million (£2.3million) for his 2020 re-election campaign. Donors will pay up to $125,000 to join Mr Trump at a table and have a photograph taken with him.