Senior Trump Adviser Criticizes UK’s Incoming US Ambassador

Chris LaCivita, a senior campaign adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, referred to Lord Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom’s designated ambassador to the United States, as “an absolute moron”. Mr. LaCivita further stated on social media that Lord Mandelson “should stay home”. Mr. LaCivita, who previously served as a co-campaign manager for Trump’s presidential election campaign, expressed disapproval of the British government’s choice, asserting that it was substituting a “professional universally respected ambo [ambassador] with an absolute moron”. Lord Mandelson is recognized as a prominent personality in British politics, having held various ministerial positions during the administrations of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown prior to receiving a life peerage in the House of Lords. He described his designation as the UK’s forthcoming ambassador to the US as “a great honour”. According to an initial report by The Times, Lord Mandelson is set to succeed Dame Karen Pierce, whose tenure in Washington D.C. is scheduled to conclude when Trump assumes office in the White House in early 2025. Known as the “Prince of Darkness” during his period as New Labour’s spin doctor, the 71-year-old will now serve as the principal intermediary between the prime minister and Trump’s incoming government during a critical phase for US-UK diplomatic relations. Similar to other prominent Labour personalities, Lord Mandelson has a history of criticizing Donald Trump, having once characterized him as “little short of a white nationalist and racist”. These remarks were central to Mr. LaCivita’s critique of Lord Mandelson, with Mr. LaCivita stating in his X post that the designated ambassador “described Trump as a danger to the world and ‘little short of a white nationalist'”. Mr. LaCivita, an experienced figure in Republican politics with decades of involvement, functioned as a senior adviser for Trump’s 2024 election campaign but presently holds no formal position within the administration. Following his appointment, Lord Mandelson issued a statement, saying: “We face challenges in Britain, but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities.” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer conveyed his “delighted” reaction to appointing Lord Mandelson. In a statement, he remarked: “The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship.” He added, “Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength.” Sir Keir additionally expressed gratitude to Dame Karen for “her invaluable service for the last four years, and in particular the wisdom and steadfast support she has given me personally since July”. While UK ambassadors are typically career diplomats or civil servants, Downing Street indicated that the selection of a prominent Labour politician “shows just how importantly we see our relationship with the Trump administration”. This development coincides with senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith questioning the decision. He requested an inquiry to examine Lord Mandelson’s appointment, his history, and “whether or not this is reliable or anyway likely to cause offence in the United States”. Sir Iain further commented, “He’s not a diplomatic appointee, he’s a political appointee and political appointees often carry baggage, particularly if they’ve been out of parliament and out of government for some time.” In an interview from 2019 that recently came to light, Lord Mandelson characterized Trump to an Italian journalist as “reckless and a danger to the world”. Additionally, in a 2018 interview with the Evening Standard, he referred to Trump as “a bully”. Since his name emerged as a prospective candidate for the US ambassadorial position, which is regarded as the most esteemed diplomatic role within the UK government, Lord Mandelson has moderated his rhetoric concerning Trump. In November, he advocated on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme for establishing “a new relationship rather than a special one” with the US. He further conveyed to the News Agents podcast that it is “absolutely essential that we establish a relationship with President Trump that enables us not only to understand and interpret what he’s doing but to influence it”. He also suggested that the Labour government ought to endeavor to “reconnect” with Elon Musk, a tech multi-billionaire and ally of Trump. Musk, who has voiced criticism of Sir Keir’s administration, has been named the leader of a new advisory group called the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which does not constitute an official government department. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.