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Published: 7:34 AM June 3, 2019 Updated: 6:02 PM September 17, 2020

Comments from Boris Johnson about Donald Trump projected on to Elizabeth Tower. Photograph: Led By Donkeys. - Credit: Archant

Campaigners have attempted to embarrass Tory leadership hopeful Boris Johnson by projecting his past comments about the US president on to Big Ben.

Over the weekend Donald Trump took the unusual step of endorsing Johnson as the next prime minister, breaking the usual conventions of a US president.

He said: "I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent."

He added: "He has been very positive about me and our country."

But in a bid to embarrass both Trump and Johnson, campaigners have uncovered a clip of the then mayor of London saying some less than complimentary comments about the US president - and projected it on to Big Ben in time for his visit to the UK.

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It was projected on to Elizabeth Tower - the building surrounding Big Ben.

In the clip he says: "When Donald Trump says that there are parts of London that are no-go areas, I think he's betraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him, frankly, unfit to hold the office of president of the United States.

"I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city except that I wouldn't want London to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump."

The group responsible for the publicity stunt was the Led By Donkeys campaign, who have also been erecting billboards to expose the comments of two-faced Brexiteers.

They tweeted a video to Donald Trump, claiming that Johnson had said some "very nasty things" about him.

The choice of wording was in reference to a comment from the president about Meghan Markle, who he said had made some "nasty" comments about him.

US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson has said Donald Trump's decision to endorse Boris Johnson as Tory leader was due to their personal relationship.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr show, he said: "He's known Boris Johnson for a long time and what he's commenting on is his knowledge of Boris Johnson as a person."