Trump Transition Team Issued Dual Warnings Over Mandelson Ambassador Appointment
Senior members of Donald Trump's presidential transition team delivered two explicit warnings to Keir Starmer's administration against appointing Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States, according to new revelations. The objections centered not on Mandelson's connections to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, but rather on his history of vocal criticism directed at the former president.
Objections Rooted in Past Criticism and Diplomatic Displacement
Officials from Trump's camp described the Labour peer as "arrogant" and unsuitable for the prestigious diplomatic posting. Their primary concern stemmed from Mandelson's previous public remarks, which included branding Trump "a danger to the world" and labeling him a "racist." These statements, made during Trump's first term, created significant friction.
Furthermore, the transition team expressed strong dissatisfaction with the proposed sidelining of the incumbent ambassador, Karen Pierce. Pierce, a highly respected career diplomat, was reportedly to be "shunted aside" to accommodate Mandelson's appointment, a move that raised eyebrows in Washington.
Direct Communications with Starmer's Senior Advisers
The initial warning was conveyed during a face-to-face meeting in Florida in early December 2024. The recipients were National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell and the then-Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney. This meeting occurred just weeks before Trump was due to begin his second term in the White House.
A second, reinforcing message was delivered via a telephone call to Jonathan Powell later in the same month. A Trump transition official explained the rationale to Politico, stating, "No one was particularly favorable to him [Mandelson], really primarily because he'd been openly nasty about the president… [He had] a bad history of being openly nasty so why would he be a preferred ambassador?"
White House Denial and Escalating Political Pressure
In response to these reports, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly issued a denial, telling Politico, "This is an inaccurate representation of this meeting and what was said." A spokesperson for Number 10 Downing Street declined to comment on the matter.
The controversy adds to mounting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the Mandelson appointment. It follows weekend claims that Trump personally requested Ambassador Karen Pierce be retained during a November 2024 phone call with Starmer.
Ethics Scrutiny and Ongoing Police Investigation
Further complicating the situation, it was revealed that the government's ethics chief, Darren Tierney, was twice denied the opportunity to question Lord Mandelson before he assumed the ambassadorial role. Tierney, then head of the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team, approached Morgan McSweeney's office offering to conduct an interview with the peer.
These offers were made both before and after the production of a due diligence report, published last week, which highlighted a "reputational risk" in appointing Mandelson. Separately, Lord Mandelson remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police concerning an email he sent to Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office but has since been released from bail conditions. He denies any wrongdoing.
Mandelson's Attempted Reconciliation and Trump Camp's Reaction
In the wake of his appointment being announced in December 2024, Trump's campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, publicly derided Mandelson as a "moron" who should "stay home." Seeking to mend fences, Mandelson subsequently stated in January that his past critical comments, made on an Italian podcast, had been "ill-judged and wrong." He expressed that Trump had earned "fresh respect" since winning re-election.
In an interview with Fox News, Mandelson expressed confidence in his ability to forge a strong working relationship with the new Trump administration, despite the rocky start and the clear objections from the president's own team.
