On Tuesday, President Donald Trump took aim at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his choice of ambassador to Washington, after Starmer admitted the selection was a mistake.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Starmer had shown "wrong judgment" in appointing former ambassador Peter Mandelson to the U.S. post. "Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom acknowledged that he ‘exercised wrong judgement' when he chose his Ambassador to Washington," Trump wrote. "I agree, he was a really bad pick. Plenty of time to recover, however!"
Starmer, speaking in the House of Commons, took responsibility for the decision. "I should not have appointed" Mandelson, he said, adding, "I apologize, again, to the victims of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who were clearly failed by my decision." The prime minister said he was "furious" that he was not aware Mandelson had failed security vetting before taking the role.
The controversy is part of a broader political crisis across Europe triggered by the release of the Epstein files. The scandal has toppled careers and caused market turmoil. Earlier, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles, was arrested over alleged misconduct tied to Epstein, though he was not charged. Mandelson resigned from political roles after revelations of payments and ties to Epstein, despite being appointed U.S. ambassador by Starmer.
The fallout has spread across Europe: Norway's former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with corruption, and France's Jack Lang resigned amid investigations. The crisis coincides with economic weakness in the Eurozone, raising concerns that political instability could strengthen right-leaning movements.
Photo courtesy: Gints Ivuskans / Shutterstock
