Though many had believed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom and U.S. President Donald Trump had a relatively congenial relationship, reports are suggesting that Johnson’s administration is privately hoping that the New York businessman will lose his bid for reelection come November.
“It would make things much easier if [he] doesn’t win re-election,” one minister in Johnson’s government told The Sunday Times . “Privately, many [others in the government] agree.”
The British government is reportedly attempting to distance itself from the current U.S. administration, as many are beginning to anticipate that former Vice President Joe Biden will be victorious in the 2020 presidential election .
One example is the new-found glacial pace of making an international trade deal.
“Boris was trying to distance himself from Trump,” one U.K. official explained.
Though Johnson and his American counterpart had once been strong allies, their relationship suffered some tension after the United States put pressure on the U.K. to end its contract with Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. The company was supposed to help build a strong 5G network in the country, despite questions about whether the Communist Party in China could exploit the technology for espionage purposes.
The disagreement allegedly got so heated that reports had claimed that the commander in chief had “slammed the phone down” on Johnson “in a moment of ‘apoplectic’ fury” this past January, per Business Insider .
Ironically, the British ended up scrapping the deal with Huawei — but for another reason. As was previously reported by The Inquisitr , Johnson decided to substantially reduce retaliation for China’s handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, such as obstructing scientists and health experts from early information about the disease. That said, U.S. sanctions on Huawei also likely factored into the decision.
However, the tension due to the 5G disagreement is allegedly not the only reason some on the other side of the pond are hoping for a change in leadership.
“A lot of stuff will change if Biden wins,” one diplomat told Business Insider . “The venal corruption of the Trump family and the nasty narcissistic aspects of his behavior — all that will go with a different sort of president.”
Johnson and his administration may soon get their wish. While the election remains a little over three months away, polls have been giving the former Delaware senator a sizable lead. However, the commander in chief maintains that he is in a strong position, citing the data as “fake polls,” as was previously reported by The Inquisitr .