London mayor Boris Johnson welcomed President Obama to Europe Thursday with a scathing newspaper op-ed slamming his policies as “downright hypocritical” and suggesting Obama’s hostility to the British is rooted in him being “part-Kenyan.”
Johnson, who is also a conservative member of Parliament, strongly condemned Obama’s recent call for the UK to remain in the European Union in The Sun column.
“Some said it was a snub to Britain,” Johnson wrote about Obama removing a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office in 2009. “Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President’s ancestral dislike of the British empire – of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender.”
It’s an argument the British media has floated before, but the Washington Post debunked the story, reporting the bust was returned to the Brits before Obama even arrived in the White House.
In the column, Johnson goes on to repeatedly invoke Churchill to make his case for Britain leaving the EU, at turns attacking Obama’s policies as “incoherent,” “inconsistent,” and “downright hypocritical.”
Labour MP John McDonnell tweeted the remarks are “yet another example of dog-whistle racism from senior Tories,” while Ukip leader Nigel Farage told the Guardian Obama should “butt” out of the UK referendum.
“Look, I know his family’s background. Kenya. Colonialism. There is clearly something going on there,” Farage said.
I didn’t know Trump had a brother in England.
Quick, someone find where this bloke was born! He cleary has all the qualifications needed to become the Gop Nominee.
he’s always been known for being a loudmouth.
It’s true that Obama is 1/2 Kenyan… of course, the mayor’s intent was malicious.
Wow, nice talk from an albino. Refreshing to see American political idiocy reflected as Europe kinda faces its own racism.
Perhaps the Mayor isn’t aware of this, but there is some historical precedent for Americans in general being opposed to British colonialism.