UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said it is “no surprise” that the “controversial” presidential candidate Donald Trump picked a “controversial” running mate for the US election.
JD Vance, a 39-year-old senator from Ohio, was given the role last night during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
But speaking at the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC last week, he suggested the UK was the “first truly Islamist country” to obtain nuclear weapons after Labour won the general election.
Politics live: Rayner hits back at ‘Islamist country’ comments by Trump’s VP pick
Asked by Sky News’ Sophy Ridge about the comments, Mr Healey said: “I don’t think anyone here in Britain would recognise that caricature here.”
But pushed on whether it was offensive, the minister replied: “Well, politics is controversial. You know, President Trump is controversial. It should be no surprise he’s picked somebody who’s also controversial as a running mate.
“But, in the end, who the American people elect to be their president and vice-president is for them.”
In the interview for the Politics Hub show, airing at 7pm tonight, Mr Healey said the UK and US had always had a “very close alliance”, and the new Labour government would “work with whoever the American people elect as their leaders”.
He added: “This strong relationship at the heart of NATO… has seen through some ups and downs of political cycles on both sides of the Atlantic before.”
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Mr Healey would not answer questions about Mr Vance’s stance on Ukraine, however, with the possible vice-president being a critic of US funding for the war.
Instead, when asked if he agreed with him, the UK minister pointed to agreements at the NATO summit last week and his own meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after coming to power.
Read more:
Who is JD Vance?
What could Vance mean for future of Ukraine and NATO?
UK Defence Secretary John Healey met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. Pic: MoD/PA
“We’ve said that we will support [Ukraine] with £3bn a year this year and every year for the rest of the decade,” said Mr Healey.
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“And we will work with them to see how we can help them in their fight against Putin’s illegal invasion, and how we can help also lead other allies to do more to support.”
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