ABC: Why Should Britain 'Be The First Call' The US Makes Anymore?

June 26th, 2016 12:52 PM

Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos seemed to have let his personal feelings about Brexit take over during ABC’s This Week on Sunday. The moderator asked rather ridiculous and rude questions to Sir Kim Darroch, Britain’s Ambassador to the US, about their relationship with the United States going forward. In one of his early questions, Stephanopoulos wondered why the US would even bother with Britain anymore, “if Britain has less leverage in Europe, is it still going to be the first call of the president of the United States?

Darroch swiftly put Stephanopoulos in his place:

Let's remember that Britain is still the world's fifth biggest economic power. The fourth biggest military power. We're in the G-7. We’re in the G-20. We’re on the UN Security Council. We're not going to disappear from the world stage. We will still be important players and America's closest ally.

Following Darroch’s rebuke, Stephanopoulos practically begged him for the country to reconsider. “More than 3 million people have now signed a petition saying that they want a revote, a new referendum,” Stephanopoulos stated, “Do you think that’s possible at all?

The ambassador let Stephanopoulos down hard, “The prime minister made it clear throughout that this was a once in a generation vote. The result was final.” He would go to say that even though he didn’t personally support Brexit it is what people voted for and they would make the best of it, “So the task for us now is to pull together and work out the new relationship with Europe.”

Transcript below: 

ABC
This Week
June 26, 2016
9:24:50 AM Eastern

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's get more on it now from Sir Kim Darroch the British Ambassador to the United States. Mr. Ambassador thanks for joining us this morning. You just heard Terry Moran right there saying the special relationship, perhaps, a little less special, is it?

KIM DARROCH: George, one of the striking things for me, since the vote out on Friday morning, is the number of American friends from the president through Speaker Ryan, to lots of private messages who have told us that the special relationship will endure and will be as strong as ever. So no I think -- I think the special relationship will be in good shape.

STEPHANOPOUPLOS: But if Britain has less leverage in the Eur— in Europe, is it still going to be the first call of the president of the United States?

DARROCH: Let's remember that Britain is still the world's fifth biggest economic power. The fourth biggest military power. We're in the G-7. We’re in the G-20. We’re on the UN Security Council. We're not going to disappear from the world stage. We will still be important players and America's closest ally.

STEPHANOPOULOS: There seems to be a bit of buyer's remorse, in Great Britain, over the weekend. More than 3 million people have now signed a petition saying that they want a revote, a new referendum. Do you think that’s possible at all?

SIR DARROCH: Yeah, it's -- it was a very big decision. And 16 million people voted to remain. So it's understandable that there is— you call it a buyer's remorse— but that people are surprised by the outcome or disconcerted. The prime minister made it clear throughout that this was a once in a generation vote. The result was final. So the task for us now is to pull together and work out the new relationship with Europe.