In recorded comments to Jewish leaders, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised US intervention against British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn if he gets elected as Britain’s next prime minister. Corbyn is accused of being an anti-semite over his membership in certain pro-Palestinian groups.



Though the accusations against Corbyn are controversial within the Labour Party, Israel’s right-wing has treated them as an unquestionable fact, and the Trump Administration seems to be formulating policy around that view of Corbyn.



Indeed, Corbyn offered to meet Trump during his recent visit, and Trump declared him “a negative force.” Pompeo made clear that the US would not wait and see if Corbyn did anything actually antisemitic as premier, and would “push back” against him before he does anything, saying it would be “too hard once it’s already happened.”



The comments didn’t sit well in Britain, where Labour accused the US of trying to interfere in the upcoming election. This was already an issue, with Trump rather openly endorsing Conservative candidate Boris Johnson.



While the US has never been shy about meddling in elections worldwide, President Trump has shown an unusual willingness to single out preferred candidates in countries like Britain and Israel, where traditionally all of the parties are very favorable to the US.



Though recent elections in Britain have shown the Conservative Party with a fairly solid grip on power, Labour is historically a very major party, and has formed governments not so long ago. It would be unthinkable, given that, for the Trump Administration to treat them as such an unacceptable choice for the British voter to make.



Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz