Lindsey Graham blames press after Donald Trump causes UK ambassador’s resignation

Republican blame on journalists draw backlash after president refuses to work with UK ambassador

Lindsey Graham blamed the press for Kim Darroch’s sudden resignation as the UK ambassador to the US shortly after Donald Trump angrily announced he would no longer work with the foreign official.

Mr Darroch announced his resignation from the post on Wednesday morning after the president called him “pompous” and “stupid” in a series of tweets.

The president’s Twitter attacks followed leaked memos that Mr Darroch sent to the US about Mr Trump, in which the UK ambassador described his administration as “uniquely dysfunctional” and “inept.”

Announcing his resignation on Wednesday, Mr Darroch said it had become “impossible” to remain in the ambassador position after his public row with Mr Trump. Reports indicated that decision also had to do with Boris Johnson — the likely successor to Prime Minister Theresa May — and his failure to defend the ambassador amid his confrontation with the president.

Mr Graham’s statement on the developments made no mention of the president’s quarrel with Mr Darroch, however. Rather, the Republican senator appeared to attack the press for covering the context within the leaked memos, describing the news cycle as “a good example of selective media coverage of an issue.”

“Kim Darroch did an outstanding job as ambassador and sorry to see he has resigned his post,” Mr Graham tweeted on Wednesday.

“He got a raw deal from press,” the senator added.

Mr Graham then posted a screenshot of a reported leaked memo in which Mr Darroch seemingly wrote about the president’s shot at re-election: “Trump may emerge from the flames, battered but intact, like Schwarzenegger in the final scenes of the Terminator.”

The ambassador “always understood the strength of President Trump,” he added, saying Mr Darroch “referred to [Trump] as the ‘Terminator’ who is indestructible and will most likely re-elected.”

The president lambasted Mr Darroch after the leaks were published in global news outlets, telling reporters on Sunday: “The ambassador has not served the UK well, I can tell you that.”

“We are not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well,” he continued. “So I can understand it, and I can say things about him but I won’t bother.”

Mr Trump then called the ambassador “wacky,” a “very stupid guy” and “a pompous fool” in a series of tweets.

“Tell him the USA now has the best Economy & Military anywhere in the World, by far and they are both only getting bigger, better and stronger,” he wrote, adding, “Thank you, Mr. President!”