Mitt Romney would not sign on to comments published earlier Wednesday by the Daily Telegraph and attributed to an unnamed Romney adviser in which the source said President Obama doesn’t sufficiently understand the relationship between the United States and Britain. In an interview with NBC, Romney affirmed that he believed that the two countries do have a particular, historical connection but said he thinks the president appreciates that as well.
“But I can tell you that we have a very special relationship between the United States and Great Britain,” Romney said. “But I also believe the president understands that.”
“We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special,” the unnamed adviser said, according to the Daily Telegraph. “The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared historywe have.”
The interview was taped in London on Wednesday. Romney has promised repeatedly not to criticize Obama while abroad.
Romney’s full response to the the “Anglo-Saxon” comment:
Well, first of all, I — I’m — I’m generally not enthusiastic about — adopting the comments made by people who are unnamed. I have a lot of advisors. Actually we’ve gone from calling the rope line where I shake hands every day to the advice line. Because you have a lot of people that offer advice. So I’m not sure who this person is. But I can tell you that we have a very special relationship between the United States and Great Britain.
It goes back to our very beginnings — cultural and — and — historical. But I also believe the president understands that. So I — I don’t agree with whoever that advisor might be. But do agree that we have a very common bond between ourselves and Great Britain.
