Donald Trump has thanked Boris Johnson after leaked meeting notes show the prime minister told US diplomats the president was “making America great again”.
The summaries of meetings between American and British politicians were first published in The Daily Telegraph and date back to when Mr Johnson was foreign secretary under Theresa May in 2017.
Written by US officials, the meeting notes claim Mr Johnson praised Mr Trump to the US Ambassador to the UK, saying he was doing “fantastic” work on foreign policy.
In a tweet quoting a news article about the revelations, Mr Trump said: “Thank you Boris, working great together!”
According to the leaked documents, Mr Johnson specifically praised the president’s interventions around North Korea, Syria and China.
Donald Trump UK visit: protests, placards and puttingShow all 100
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump walk to a joint news conference holding hands
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People march holding anti-Trump signs in Edinburgh while the US. President is visiting Trump Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort in Scotland
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart from Glasgow Prestwick Airport
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President Donald Trump waves whilst playing a round of golf at Trump Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort
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Donut TrumpScotland United Against Trump demonstrators gather at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
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Donald Trump plays a round of golf at Trump Turnberry
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People march holding anti-Trump signs
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US President Donald Trump plays a round of golf on the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, where he and first lady Melania Trump are spending the weekend. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday July 14, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Trump. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire Andrew Milligan
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Trump waves form golf course
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TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND – JULY 14: Scottish stand-up comedian Janey Godley gives a high-five to a police officer as she holds a sign in protest on the beach outside near Trump Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort during the U.S. President’s visit to the United Kingdom on July 14, 2018 in Turnberry, Scotland. The President of the United States and First Lady, Melania Trump on their first official visit to the UK after yesterday’s meetings with the Prime Minister and the Queen is in Scotland for private weekend stay at his Turnberry. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Leon Neal
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Trump goes for a stroll
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Trump blimpA giant balloon depicting US President Donald Trump as an orange baby is launched as protesters gather in the Meadows, after taking part in the Scotland United Against Trump march through the streets of Edinburgh
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U.S. President Donald Trump drives his golf buggy
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A Greenpeace protester flying a microlight passes over Donald Trump’s resort in Turnberry
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump look at the media during their arrival on Air Force One at Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland
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Scotland United Against Trump demonstrators gather at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
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Security and police teams surround the perimeter of Trmup’s golf course
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Scotland United Against Trump demonstrators
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Teams of police officers patrol the beach outside near Trump Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort
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Pro-Trump supporters demonstrate outside the US Embassy in support of President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK, in London
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Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard speaks to crowd
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Demonstrators hold placards near the golf resort owned by US President
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Protesters wear orange face makeup
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Pro-Trump supporters demonstrate outside the US Embassy in London
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Trump protestors on the beach near to the Trump Turnberry resort
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Protestors against the UK visit of US President Donald Trump near Aberdeen
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A mounted police officer patrols anti-Trump rally
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Trump supporter Bill McGibbon outside his cottage near to the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire
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Trafalgar Square is filled with protesters against the UK visit of US President Donald Trump holding up placards as they take part in a march and rally in London on July 13, 2018. Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated in London on Friday against US President Donald Trump, whose four-day visit to Britain has been marred by his extraordinary attack on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit strategy. / AFP PHOTO / Tolga AKMENTOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN
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Queen Elizabeth II and President Donald Trump inspect an honour guard at Windsor Castle
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Demonstrators on the ‘Stop Trump’ march through London, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 13, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Trump. Photo credit should read: Joe Giddens/PA Wire Joe Giddens
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Queen Elizabeth II stands with US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, during their visit to Windsor Castle
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Donald Trump walks ahead of Queen Elizabeth
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 13: Protesters take part in a demonstration against President Trump’s visit to the UK in Trafalgar Square on July 13, 2018 in London, England. Tens of Thousands Of Anti-Trump protesters are expected to demonstrate in London and across the country against the UK visit by the President of the United States. Many people disagree with his policies that include migrant family separation, discrimination of transgender military personnel and changes to laws protecting women’s sexual health. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) Chris J Ratcliffe
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Donald and Melania Trump listen to the Coldstream Guards, play the US national anthem next to the Queen
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Protesters in Windor
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US President Donald Trump and first lady Melanie Trump are greeted by Queen Elizabeth II, during an arrival ceremony with the Guard of Honour at Windsor
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Queen Elizabeth II waits to greet US President Donald Trump as he arrives by helicopter
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Ed Miliband joins the march
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Protestors hold banners
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Protests at Trump visit
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Protesters for the ‘Stop Trump’ Women’s March gather in London
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US President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May hold a joint press conference
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Donald Trump and Theresa May attend a press conference
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Demonstrators protest against the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump
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Prime Minister Theresa May walks with US President Donald Trump at Chequers
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First Lady, Melania Trump, tries her hand at bowls
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US President and British Prime Minister at Chequers
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Theresa May and Donald Trump enter Chequers
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Protestors wearing Donald Trump and Theresa May paper mache heads join the protest in Butler’s Cross
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First Lady, Melania Trump, looks on as Philip May tries bowls
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First Lady, Melania Trump, reacts as she tries her hand at bowls
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Donald Trump protest in London
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Theresa May, Donald Trump with US ambassador to the United Kingdom Woody Johnson and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the start of the bilateral meeting at Chequers
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Melania Trump and Philip May wave flags
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Donald Trump is greeted by Theresa May
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The US First Lady Melania Trump, helps children to make poppies
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The handshake between Donald Trump and Theresa May
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Demonstrators raise a six meter high effigy of Donald Trump
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Donald Trump stands alongside Theresa May after he arrived for talks at Chequers, her country residence in Buckinghamshire
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A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of Donald Trump hovers next to the statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill
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First Lady, Melania Trump, accompanied by Philip May, meets schoolchildren and British Army veterans
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A lookalike of former British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson stands next to a person in a cage wearing a money suit and a mask of Donald Trump
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Donald Trump gestures as he prepares to board Marine One to depart the US ambassador’s residence Winfield House
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Demonstrators stand in front of a blimp portraying US. President Donald Trump, in Parliament Square
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The Prime Minister hosts President Trump and First Lady Melania at a black tie dinner with business leaders at Blenheim Palace
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The Prime Minister, accompanied by husband Philip, arrive with President Trump and First Lady Melania to a black tie dinner with business leaders at Blenheim Palace
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The Prime Minister and President Trump are seen holding hands, not for the first time
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President Donald Trump pumps his fist during his arrival, with first lady Melania Trump, in Regent’s Park
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Demonstrators bang pots and pans as they gather at the US ambassador residence in Regent’s Park
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US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump walk in the grounds of the US ambassador’s residence Winfield House
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A demonstrator protests next to the specially erected fence surrounding the US ambassador’s residence
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A motorcade arrives at Winfield House in London, the residence of American Ambassador to the to the Court of St James’s
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A presidential helicopter lands in the grounds of the US ambassador residence in Regent’s Park
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Protesters chant and wave placards during a demonstration outside Winfield House
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he Marine One helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump flies past the BT Tower
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Protesters chant and wave placards during a demonstration outside Winfield House
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US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump disembark from Air Force One after arriving in the UK
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US First Lady Melania Trump and US President Donald Trump are greeted by US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Woody Johnson
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US President Trump and Melania Trump leaving Stansted Airport
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An honour guard stands to receive US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump
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US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox on their arrival
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US Marine Corps Osprey aircraft taking off
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Us President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump disembark from Air Force One
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US President Trump and Melania Trump arrive at Stansted
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A giant ‘Human Rights Nightmare’ banner is unfurled by Amnesty International activists across the river Thames on Vauxhall Bridge to protest against the visit of US President Donald Trump
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US President Donald Trump waves as he arrives in the UK
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An armed police officier waits on the tarmac at Stansted Airport
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US President Donald Trump and Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport
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Armed police await the arrival of US President Donald Trump at Stansted Airport
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He also told the ambassador Woody Johnson, a billionaire businessman and Republican donor who was appointed to the prestigious post by Mr Trump, his boss was increasingly popular in the UK.
However, polling has fairly consistently shown the British public do not approve of Mr Trump. After eight years of strong 60 per cent or higher approval ratings for his predecessor Barack Obama, surveys show barely 16 per cent of Britons approve of the job his Republican successor is doing.
Mr Trump’s tweeted thanks came amidst a string of tweets and retweets from the president on Tuesday morning, Washington DC time, mostly attacks on the Democrats and officials the president is feuding with, such as former FBI director James Comey and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
The leaked notes also show how Mr Johnson worked hard to build relationships with key figures in Mr Trump’s inner circle, such as his influential son-in-law Jared Kushner and hardline anti-immigration advisor Stephen Miller.
“We were initially anxious about the US foreign policy but Trump has been doing fantastic stuff on Syria, North Korea, China, Afghanistan”, Mr Johnson said.
He also is quoted telling Mr Johnson “America is back under Trump” and “The president is making America great again”.
According to the former diplomat, who was removed from post after his own memos critiquing Mr Trump were leaked to the media, the prime minister is particularly taken by his American counterpart’s patchy relationship “with the facts and the truth”
This includes “the limited vocabulary, the simplicity of the messaging, the disdain for political correctness, the sometimes incendiary imagery, and the at best intermittent relationship with facts and the truth”, Lord Darroch writes.
Before sending the tweet, Mr Trump and the White House had declined to comment on the leaked diplomatic notes.
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk