UK foreign secretary sidesteps queries on past Trump criticism in Washington meeting
Britain’s new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, avoided answering reporters’ questions about his earlier harsh remarks toward Donald Trump while meeting US Senator Marco Rubio in Washington.
Ed Miliband, recently appointed as the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary, arrived in Washington for a meeting with US Senator Marco Rubio at the State Department. Reporters shouted inquiries about Miliband’s past condemnation of Donald Trump, labeling the president an “idiot, a racist and a misogynist,” but he chose not to address the remarks, stating that the two leaders were looking forward to their discussions. The agenda includes cooperation on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, assessments of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Rubio had invited Miliband after their initial encounter at a foreign ministers’ summit in the Philippines the previous month. Observers note that the interaction will be closely monitored, given the White House’s reported concerns over Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to place Miliband in charge of Britain’s foreign affairs.
Why it matters
The exchange signals how the UK’s new foreign minister will navigate strained US-UK ties and contentious diplomatic issues.
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