Woody Johnson says ‘we’ll make everything possible’ if US president wants to meet ex-foreign secretary

The US ambassador has said he will set up a meeting for Donald Trump with Britain’s former foreign secretary Boris Johnson should the president wish to see him on his visit to the UK.

The comments will pile further pressure on Downing Street as May prepares to meet the US president for his first visit to Britain, in a week when Johnson quit the government in protest at her Brexit strategy, along with the Brexit secretary, David Davis.



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The US ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said meeting Johnson was “not on the schedule but the president makes his own schedule”.

“We’ll make everything possible if the president wants to do something,” he said. “Boris Johnson has been a friend of the president, was a friend during the election and he has a warm and close relationship with the president.

“I think you have to give all the protagonists, whether it’s the president or the prime minister, a little bit of leeway here. If the president wants to do it, and he feels it’s appropriate to do it, he’ll make that decision.”

Johnson said he was not concerned by the British political situation, saying “there is always turmoil in every country” and “the UK is proceeding in the way it always does”.

Trump had told reporters he expects to see a country in turmoil when he lands in the UK on Thursday for a two-day visit.

“So I have Nato, I have the UK which is in somewhat turmoil, and I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of them all. Who would think! Who would think. But the UK certainly has a lot of things going on,” he said.

“Boris Johnson’s a friend of mine, he’s been very nice to me, very supportive and maybe I’ll speak to him when I get over there. I like Boris Johnson, I’ve always liked him.”

May’s spokesman said it was positive for the UK that the former foreign secretary had a good relationship with the president.



“It’s important for the special relationship to have a strong relationship at [a] political level. I know [new foreign secretary] Jeremy Hunt is looking forward to forging his own relationships with his US counterparts.”