Britain’s ambassador to Washington quit on Wednesday after days of stinging criticism from US President Donald Trump.
Memos from Kim Darroch in which he described the Trump administration as “inept” were leaked to a British Sunday newspaper, infuriating the US president, who launched a Twitter attack on both the envoy and outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, who had given Darroch her full support, Reuters reported.
As the spat between the two close allies intensified, Trump said he would no longer deal with the “very stupid” Darroch and called May “foolish”.
Darroch said his position had become untenable.
“Since the leak of official documents from this embassy there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador,” said Darroch, who was due to step down at the end of the year.
“I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like.”
In his confidential memos dating from 2017 to the present, Darroch had said reports of infighting in the White House were “mostly true”.
“We don’t really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept,” Darroch wrote in one cable.
It led to a scathing tirade from the US president.
“The wacky Ambassador that the UK foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy,” he tweeted.
