President Donald Trump has called Britain's ambassador to the United States a "very stupid guy" as he again reacted to leaked cables critical of his administration.
"The wacky Ambassador that the UK foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy," Trump tweeted on Tuesday (US time).
- Donald Trump attacks UK's outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May
- Secret UK diplomatic cables blast Donald Trump as 'inept', 'incompetent'
The leaked cables showed British ambassador Kim Darroch being critical of Trump in his correspondences to London, including slamming the White House as being "dysfunctional" and saying the president has a short attention span.
Trump said he has been told Darroch is a "pompous fool", adding that someone should tell him that the US "now has the best Economy & Military anywhere in the World, by far... and they are both only getting bigger, better and stronger.....Thank you, Mr. President!"
Trump has been critical of Darroch in the past and in a tweet on Monday said the US would no longer deal with him.
The US State Department, however, said on Tuesday it has not been given any instructions not to.
"We will continue to deal with all accredited individuals until we get any further guidance from the White House or the president, which we will of course abide by the president's direction," said spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.
In his tweets, the president also reiterated his assertion that he instructed British Prime Minister Theresa May on how to handle Brexit "but she went her own foolish way - was unable to get it done. A disaster!"
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called Trump's tweets "disrespectful and wrong" to May as well as to the nation.
"Your diplomats give their private opinions to (US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) and so do ours!" he added in the tweet on Tuesday.
Hunt, who is vying to with Boris Johnson to succeed May as Conservative leader, says that if he beats Johnson, Darroch will remain in his post.
"I have got a good relationship with the White House and I have no embarrassment in saying that," Johnson, who is expected to beat Hunt in the Conservative Party run-off, told the BBC.
The British government on Sunday said it would investigate the leak. The series of sensitive memos, dating from 2017 to the present, were leaked to the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
AAP
