Here are the 7 meetings and calls that were captured in the notes, details of which were shared. The notes were made by US officials during the conversations - ie they are contemporaneous notes.pic.twitter.com/HpToTaIQh0
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The Telegraph has been leaked details of notes made during seven high level UK-US meetings.
They show Boris Johnson privately told US diplomats Trump was “making America great again”. Also wild May-Trump conversations.
Thread with the quotes...https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/05/exclusive-leaked-meeting-notes-show-boris-johnson-said-trump/ …
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One other bit of context. This, per numerous sources, is how US officials take notes in such meetings. Someone is designated note-taker. And for in-person meetings, notes are taken by hand, writing down direct quotes.pic.twitter.com/IFZzhG4N9m
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What follows are some of the direct quotations according to those contemporaneous notes. I’ll post them raw so you can read for yourself. Again, all of the below is ‘according to the notes’. Enjoy...
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*BORIS JOHNSON + WOODY JOHNSON* (Context: August 29 2017. Foreign Office) (Boris was Foreign Sec, Woody US ambo in UK) Boris: “We were initially anxious about the US foreign policy but Trump has been doing fantastic stuff on Syria, North Korea, China, Afghanistan." ...
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Boris: “Hopefully you don’t scrap the nuclear deal” (Iran) Boris: "America is back under Trump” Woody: "We have to challenge the status quo and Trump is good at that” ...
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Boris: “We’ll solve problems together" Boris: “The president is making America great again” [Yes that is Trump's 2016 slogan worn on the red hats]
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Sidenote: we put the 'make America great again' quote + others to No 10 for comment. No10 spokesman: “The PM is committed to the extremely important relationship between the UK and US and to enhancing the work we do together to ensure the prosperity and security of our citizens”
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*THERESA MAY AND TRUMP* (Context: White House lunch with top advisers. Jan 27 2017 - very shortly after the inauguration) This one is quite a long read out but, I think, worth sticking with...
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Trump: "Isn’t this place great? It’s so great. I’ve been to Buckingham Palace before and that’s greater." [Talked about inauguration crowd, which led him to the Women's March and March for Life, which led him to abortion...]
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Trump: “Abortion is such a tough issue” [asked May if she was pro-life or pro-choice] Trump: “Imagine some animal with tattoos raping your daughter and then she gets pregnant” Trump, gesturing to Mike Pence: “He’s a really tough one on abortion”
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Then onto trade... Trump, on trade talks delayed till post-Brexit: “That is so unfair, how can the EU limit you?" May, on if other EU members would leave: "No I don’t think so and we don’t want them to. It’s better for the EU to stick together but the EU does need reform.”
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Trump: “What about Brexit? Did Cameron make a mistake?” May: “Look, it’s Conservative Party politics”. (A UK adviser explained why Cameron had to call vote)
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Trump: “Why isn’t Boris Johnson the prime minister? Didn’t he want the job?”
[Theresa May explained the Tory leadership process which led to her becoming PM]
Trump: “Oh, so you were drafted like in baseball. But really I think you were plotting this all along”.Show this thread -
[On UK-US trade talks. Cohn used to be president of Goldman Sachs] Trump: “The guy from our side on trade would be Gary Cohn. That guy used to pay $175 million in taxes a year and now makes $170,000 a year. Incredible.”
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Trump, on Brexit: “What about Northern Ireland?” Trump on N Ireland: “There’s such hatred there. I just don’t understand where it comes from.” [May tried to explain, Trump started talking about Scotland and how Alex Salmond was a “loser”]
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Trump: “We are going to get tough on immigration. The Europeans have opened their doors to bad people. We will not have a Paris.” (Presumably a reference to recent terror attacks in French capital)
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Trump: “Crime is way up in Germany. Women are getting raped all over the place” Trump: “Merkel will lose her next election” May: “No I don’t think she will, she’s the best politician in Europe right now” (Spoiler: May was right)
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There’s passing reference to Trump-Michael Flynn chat on Putin call, widely reported. Then this: May: “You have to engage with Putin but beware. He only respects strength. You have to be tough.” Trump: “I have to talk to this guy. He has a thousand nukes. This isn’t the Congo.”
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Another sidenote: I read out the above to two people who were in the Trump-May lunch. Both said it was broadly accurate based on their recollections. A third person familiar with the US note said likewise.
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*MAY-TRUMP SKRIPAL CALL* March 2018. Sergei Skripal (Russian spy defected to UK) + daughter were poisoned with Novichok. A chemical attack on British soil. May wanted nations to jointly expel Russian diplomats. She wanted Trump’s help. Big moment for her + UK-US relationship...
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[On Skripal / Russian diplomat expulsions] May: "We really need your leadership on this” Trump: "No, I would rather follow than lead. Angela [Merkel] is doing nothing. She is feeding the beast. I have done stuff and the EU has to do something. We are paying for their defence."
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[On Skripal] May: “Three children fell ill after feeding ducks there” Trump: “Yes, it’s horrible and disgusting” May: “The US and the UK must stand together on this” Trump: “No, all of us have to be together. Germany has to do something. You have to put together a coalition."
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Trump: “I’m not willing for the US to go first and then have others not to do anything. Germany has to do something.” Eventually, Trump did actually expel Russian diplomats. 60, more than any nation. WashPost reported when he learned Germany expelled 4 he was... not impressed.
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End of conversation
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