New book says ‘uninformed’ Donald Trump unaware UK was a nuclear power
US president Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images) - Credit: Getty Images
Donald Trump was unaware Britain was a nuclear power, according to leaks from a new book by John Bolton
Bolton, a staunch conservative and former UN ambassador who served for 17 months in the White House, said the president was 'stunningly uninformed' in his new memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
The Times reported the book had been leaked to the media despite efforts by the Trump administration to block its publication.
One excerpt told of a 2018 meeting with then prime minister Theresa May in which a UK official referred to Britain as a nuclear power.
Trump is said to have replied: 'Oh, are you a nuclear power?'
You may also want to watch:
Bolton makes it clear the line was not intended as a joke.
The former ambassador also wrote that at a Nato summit in 2018 Trump had decided to tell allies the US would pull out of the group if other countries did not increase their defence spending, telling Bolton in a message: 'We will walk out, and not defend those who have not [paid].'
Most Read
- 1 Betty Boothroyd delivers scathing assessment of Boris Johnson's government
- 2 Boris Johnson 'plans to resign' in six months because he can't live on £150k salary
- 3 Government told to publish impact assessments for Boris Johnson's 'Narnia' deal with EU
- 4 Brexiteer admits 'Australia-style deal' term designed to 'pull wool over voters' eyes'
- 5 Remainers blamed for Boris Johnson's inability to secure Brexit deal
- 6 Theresa May brands Michael Gove's no-deal Brexit statement 'utter rubbish'
- 7 Boris Johnson told to apologise for incompetence in delivering his 'oven-ready' Brexit deal
- 8 ERG MP says Boris Johnson should consider cutting ties with Church of England following Brexit row
- 9 Labour MP calls Dan Wootton a 'complete and utter nutcase' following Covid-19 herd immunity comment
- 10 Leaked government dossier warns of army street patrols if second Covid-19 wave and no-deal Brexit hit UK at same time
Mr Trump, however, ultimately did not make such a dramatic threat, with the US staying in the alliance.
Bolton said Trump also asked Chinese president Xi Jinping to help his re-election chances, and had on occasion expressed a willingness to stop criminal investigations involving companies in China and Turkey in order to 'give personal favours to dictators he liked'.
Bolton also offered confirmation of the charge for which Trump faced an impeachment trial earlier this year - that he had tried to leverage US aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate the son of his rival Joe Biden.
The former Trump official caused controversy by refusing to testify at the impeachment trial, where Mr Trump was acquitted, instead saving his version of events for his book, which brought a deal reportedly worth $2m (£1.5m).
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
