Kim Darroch, U.K. ambassador to the United States, has resigned following leaked cables of comments that were highly critical of President Donald Trump.
In his resignation letter, Darroch explained, “Since the leak of official documents from this embassy, there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador. I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like.”
Previously, Darroch had planned to stay in his position until late 2019. But with his anti-Trump comments having been made public, Darroch opted to resign immediately.
“Although my posting is not due to end until the end of this year,” Darroch noted, “I believe in the current circumstances, the responsible course is to allow the appointment of a new ambassador.”
Darroch also wrote, “I am grateful to all those in the U.K. and the U.S., who have offered their support during this difficult few days. This has brought home to me the depth of friendship and close ties between our two countries. I have been deeply touched.”
Trump was furious when, on Monday, he found out about the leaked comments by Darroch — who described his administration as “clumsy and inept.” The president has been railing against the ambassador on Twitter, denouncing him as “wacky” and “a very stupid guy.”
Prime Minister Theresa May, however, has defended Darroch, saying, “Good government depends on public servants being able to give full and frank advice. I want all our public servants to have the confidence to be able to do that, and I hope the house will reflect on the importance of defending our values and principles, particularly when they are under pressure.”
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