Peter Mandelson’s nomination as Britain’s new ambassador to the United States has provoked fury within Donald Trump’s team, with one insider calling it a “horrible, arrogant” choice and his campaign coordinator publicly calling the Labour peer a “moron.”
The choice of the former EU commissioner and Blair-era minister, who previously attacked Trump as “little short of a white nationalist and racist”, prompted a warning that Britain will be “locked out of the most important discussions” with the president-elect’s team because of a lack of trust.
Lord Mandelson’s appointment to Washington means the three people charged with building relations with the incoming administration have all insulted Trump: foreign secretary David Lammy once tweeted that Trump is a “tyrant” and “a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”, while foreign minister Stephen Doughty organised a 2017 petition to stop Trump addressing a joint sitting of parliament.
Mandelson described Trump as “a danger to the world” and attacked his anti-China stance, claiming it put international free trade “at risk”.
Sources in Trump’s team expressed concern about Mandelson’s ties to Beijing and the EU, and noted his close links to the disgraced tycoon and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
His recent campaign coordinator Chris LaCivita posted on X late on Friday that Mandelson is a “moron.”
He wrote: “This UK government is special. Replace a professional universally respected ambassador with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD! Mandelson described Trump as a danger to the world and ‘little short of a white nationalist”
A well-placed Trump source said of the Mandelson appointment: “It’s not going over well. I think it’s a horrible arrogant pick – and one that’s likely to get the UK locked out of most important discussions.”
But the choice of the Labour veteran has been praised in other quarters, with former predecessor Lord Darroch saying Mandelson’s experience as a commissioner in charge of trade will put him him in a good position to deal with any tariffs Trump may wish to impose.
He said: “I’ve been saying for a long time ever since the election outcome that I thought Peter Mandelson was the right man for the job and I’m glad that it’s been announced.”
But he warned that Mandelson “will have to deal with the 5am Twitter storm” that is a hallmark of Trump’s communication style.
Darroch was himself recalled after critical messages about Trump were leaked.
But there are concerns that Mandelson may not be the best choice to deal with Nigel Farage, who is setting himself up as Britain’s closest contact with the incoming White House administration.
Farage will be hosting the biggest pre-inauguration party opposite the White House just before Trump is sworn in again on 20 January.
Trump could veto Starmer’s choice of ambassador but this is seen as highly unlikely.
The row is based on comments made by Mandelson in 2019 in Alain Elkann’s podcast. In it, the new ambassador also warned that Trump would “never be viewed by people in Britain as a true embodiment of or spokesman for our values”.
Lord Mandelson said: “I wake up today and discover that not only am I seeing my country, which I love, being forced out of its own European neighbourhood, but is crossing the Atlantic to make common cause with an American president who is little short of a white nationalist and racist.
“So you can imagine I am not very happy. This disturbs me greatly because it’s completely different from all my upbringing, whether my family or in politics, what I believe, and the identity I see for my own country.”
He added: “What Donald Trump represents and believes is anathema to mainstream British opinion and the idea that as a result of Brexit, we have to kowtow to an American president who holds those views will outrage people in Britain.
“Even those who have a sneaking admiration for Donald Trump – because of the strength of his personality – nonetheless regard him as reckless and a danger to the world.
“Also the way in which he has conducted himself in relation to the British government, our Prime Minister, who he has insulted, and the way in which he treated Her Majesty’s ambassador in Washington has been shocking to British people.
“In my view – re-elected or not – he will never be viewed by people in Britain as a true embodiment of or spokesman for our values and our interests.
“He treats us already as if we’re a new state and if Boris Johnson conducts himself like some mini-Trump, he will lose a lot of support in Britain.”
Writing in the Standard a year before he also said: “It is also necessary to recognise Mr Trump’s behaviour for what it is: he is a bully and a mercantilist who thinks the US will gain in trade only when others are losing. His idea of a progressive trade policy is one that forces everyone else to give the US more favourable treatment rather than a trading system from which everyone gains.”
But in the aftermathof the election with his name being trailed as a possible ambassador, Lord Mandelson mollified his tone and criticiised the language used by the Democrats to attack Trump during the campaign.
He told The News Agents podcast: “Calling Trump an authoritarian fascist is all hyperbole.”
Announcing the decision, Sir Keir said: “The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship, Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength.”
Mandelson said: “It is a great honour to serve the country in this way. We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States.”