Government minister Bim Afolami on Monday refused to renounce a three-year-old social media post in which he condemned Donald Trump as a “cancer” for US politics, despite the Republican’s possible return to the White House.
The Treasury Economic Secretary posted on X, formerly Twitter, on January 6, 2021 after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Congress building.
With Mr Trump closing in on winning the Republican nomination for a November rematch against Joe Biden, he was grilled about whether he stood by the sentiment in an LBC interview.
“Well, look, in politics, all sorts of things get said at different times. What's important is that the British state has a strong relationship with the American government, whoever is in post, and that will continue,” he said.
Mr Afolami was a backbench Conservative MP at the time when he wrote online: “Trump has been a cancer at the heart of US politics. It is so sad to see the impact on their democracy. I hope it can be repaired.”
Trump has been a cancer at the heart of US politics. It is so sad to see the impact on their democracy. I hope it can be repaired.
— Bim Afolami MP (@BimAfolami) January 6, 2021
Asked by LBC host Nick Ferrari whether it had not occurred to him to take down the post since, he said: “It hasn't, no.”
Pressed on whether the personalised language was appropriate, he insisted: “Well I think it was just a tweet that reflected how I felt at that particular time.
“I think it was appropriate, but what I would also say is that he, if he were to lead the United States, we will have a very strong relationship with him going forward, and indeed, he’s said lots of things about lots of people in the last few years as well.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Cabinet frontbenchers are maintaining a studied neutrality in public about the upcoming US election.
But former Conservative PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have made it clear where their sympathies lie in offering varying degrees of backing to Mr Trump against President Biden.
