White House concerned over Miliband appointment: Ex-aide warns President will not forget Foreign Secretary's jibes
Mr Miliband has made a number of outspoken comments about the US President in the past
The White House is said to be concerned over Andy Burnham’s decision to appoint Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, amid fears his past criticism of Donald Trump could strain relations with Washington.
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Mr Miliband was handed the role on Monday as part of a major Cabinet reshuffle, after being tipped as a possible future Chancellor.
But a senior Trump administration official told The Telegraph the appointment could become a “point of friction” in the UK-US relationship.
The official reportedly raised concerns over Mr Miliband’s support for green energy policies, as well as his opposition to new North Sea oil and gas drilling licences.
Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised climate policies and pushed for increased fossil-fuel production.
Mr Miliband has also made a number of outspoken comments about the US President in the past.
In 2016, he said the world must “resist the worst of Trumpism”, while later accusing Mr Trump of having “lowered the bar for idiocy”.
Steve Bannon, Mr Trump’s former chief strategist, claimed the US had warned Mr Burnham’s team that Mr Miliband’s appointment would be “injurious” to the special relationship.
He said: “The Trump administration took the extraordinary step of warning the new Prime Minister that the United States would view the appointment of ‘red diaper’ baby and self-described socialist Ed Miliband as very injurious to the ‘special relationship’.
“Burnham could not care less – he appointed this twit anyway.”
Government sources told the newspaper there were already concerns that Mr Miliband’s past comments could make him a target in media interviews.
On Mr Miliband’s past remarks, an ally close to the President told The Independent: “Trump doesn’t forget. He will not forget. Miliband has some serious diplomatic repair to undertake.”
In his first statement as Foreign Secretary, Mr Miliband said he would seek to strengthen Britain’s strategic alliance with the European Union while nurturing its “strong, enduring and essential alliance” with the United States.
He also pledged to fight for “Britain’s interests and our values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law on the world stage”.