Donald Trump's VP pick says UK could become first Islamist nuclear power under left-wing rule
Despite his past criticism of Trump, Vance has aligned himself with the New Right movement and secured Trump's endorsement for his senate campaign in Ohio.
- Jul 17, 2024,
- Updated Jul 17, 2024 3:50 PM IST
JD Vance, recently announced as Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick, has sparked controversy by suggesting that the UK could potentially become the first "truly Islamist country" to acquire nuclear weapons under a Labour-led government. Speaking at the National Conservatism conference, Vance, a junior senator for Ohio and former critic of Trump, made provocative remarks regarding nuclear proliferation and British politics.
"I was talking about, you know, what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon, and we were like, maybe it’s Iran, you know, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we sort of finally decided maybe it’s actually the UK, since Labour just took over," Vance asserted during his speech, raising eyebrows among his audience.
JD Vance made waves at the recent National Conservatism conference when he criticized the UK, stating, "I have to beat up on the UK – just one additional thing. I was talking with a friend recently about one of the big dangers in the world, nuclear proliferation, although the Biden administration doesn’t prioritize it." This remark is expected to be awkward for UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has been working to build rapport with Vance in recent months, citing their similar backgrounds of overcoming childhood adversity.
Reacting swiftly to Vance's comments, Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy prime minister, expressed her reservations, noting that Vance has a history of controversial statements. "He said quite a lot of fruity things in the past," Rayner remarked in an interview with ITV, expressing curiosity about meeting Vance and Trump if they win the upcoming US election in November.
Despite his past criticism of Trump, Vance has aligned himself with the New Right movement and secured Trump's endorsement for his senate campaign in Ohio. His unexpected rise and controversial remarks have drawn attention to divisions within US-European relations, particularly amid ongoing disputes over defence spending and international security in which, European partners of NATO are lacking behind.
Vance's statements are expected to fuel debates over global diplomacy and security policies in the lead-up to the US election, highlighting the complexities of transatlantic relations under a potential return of the Trump administration.
JD Vance, recently announced as Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick, has sparked controversy by suggesting that the UK could potentially become the first "truly Islamist country" to acquire nuclear weapons under a Labour-led government. Speaking at the National Conservatism conference, Vance, a junior senator for Ohio and former critic of Trump, made provocative remarks regarding nuclear proliferation and British politics.
"I was talking about, you know, what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon, and we were like, maybe it’s Iran, you know, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we sort of finally decided maybe it’s actually the UK, since Labour just took over," Vance asserted during his speech, raising eyebrows among his audience.
JD Vance made waves at the recent National Conservatism conference when he criticized the UK, stating, "I have to beat up on the UK – just one additional thing. I was talking with a friend recently about one of the big dangers in the world, nuclear proliferation, although the Biden administration doesn’t prioritize it." This remark is expected to be awkward for UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has been working to build rapport with Vance in recent months, citing their similar backgrounds of overcoming childhood adversity.
Reacting swiftly to Vance's comments, Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy prime minister, expressed her reservations, noting that Vance has a history of controversial statements. "He said quite a lot of fruity things in the past," Rayner remarked in an interview with ITV, expressing curiosity about meeting Vance and Trump if they win the upcoming US election in November.
Despite his past criticism of Trump, Vance has aligned himself with the New Right movement and secured Trump's endorsement for his senate campaign in Ohio. His unexpected rise and controversial remarks have drawn attention to divisions within US-European relations, particularly amid ongoing disputes over defence spending and international security in which, European partners of NATO are lacking behind.
Vance's statements are expected to fuel debates over global diplomacy and security policies in the lead-up to the US election, highlighting the complexities of transatlantic relations under a potential return of the Trump administration.