Britain stands behind its U.S. ambassador whom Trump says he 'will no longer deal with'

Outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May backed Britain's ambassador to Washington, Kim Darroch, on Tuesday, after President Trump tweeted Monday that Darroch "is not liked" in the U.S. and "we will no longer deal with him." Darroch, who actually appears quite popular in Washington, was disinvited from a White House dinner Monday to honor the emir of Qatar. Trump also insulted May, saying she made a "mess" of Brexit and Britain was lucky she's on her way out.

May's spokesman said Britain's government did not agree with Darroch's leaked candid assessments of Trump's administration — which include adjectives like "dysfunctional" and "clumsy and inept" — but said Darroch was right to pass on his frank assessment. "You can't change an ambassador at the demand of a host country," former Foreign Secretary William Hague agreed on BBC Radio. "It is their job to give an honest assessment of what is happening in that country."

Meanwhile, Britain is hunting for the leaker who passed the confidential cables to journalist Isabel Oakeshott, a strong supporter of Brexit and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage. Farage is friendly with Trump and has said people like Darroch would "not be around" if Boris Johnson replaces May. Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to Washington, told BBC Radio there's a "possible range of villains," but "it was clearly somebody who set out deliberately to sabotage Sir Kim's ambassadorship, to make his position untenable, and to have him replaced by somebody more congenial to the leaker." Trump has suggested Farage would "do a great job" as ambassador to Washington, but Farage downplayed the idea Monday, saying he's "not a diplomat."

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Britain is trying to negotiate a major trade deal with the U.S. after it leaves the European Union. Trade Secretary Liam Fox, in Washington this week, said he will apologize to Ivanka Trump for the leaked cables during their scheduled meeting, to which Darroch is apparenly no longer invited.