Boris Johnson squirms as he refuses to apologise for comparing Hillary Clinton to a ‘sadistic nurse’
Mr Johnson was caught out in his first Q&A with US Secretary of State John Kerry – but refused to give a “global itinerary of apology”
Squirming Boris Johnson refused to apologise today for insulting ‘part-Kenyan’ Barack Obama and comparing Hillary Clinton to a “sadistic nurse in a mental hospital”.
The new Foreign Secretary was hauled up on his long history of slurs as he held his first joint press conference with Secretary of State John Kerry.
Mr Johnson bowed his head awkwardly as a US reporter quoted the infamous references back at him, asking scathingly if they were a sign of how he will do business.
But Mr Johnson, who’s now given up his £5,100-a-week newspaper column, refused to disown them – and claimed they had been misconstrued.
He told journalists: “I’m afraid there is such a rich thesaurus of things I’ve said that have been one way or another, through what alchemy I do not know, somehow misconstrued, that it would really take me too long to engage in a full global itinerary of apology to all concerned.
“Most people who read these things in their proper context can see exactly was intended.”
It was the second time in two questions Mr Johnson was asked if he wanted to apologise to the world’s leaders.
Minutes earlier he said: “Look, I mean, I think we can all spend an awfully long time going over things I’ve written in the last 30 years.” He blushed and chuckled as he said they were “taken out of context”.
But despite the embarrassment Mr Kerry, making his first visit to the UK since Theresa May took power, defended the mop-haired statesman.
Asked if he’d ever met a politician like Mr Johnson, he said he’d served for decades adding: “I have met everybody in the world like Boris Johnson… or not. I don’t even know what you mean, ‘like Boris Johnson’.”
He recalled the US ambassador in Brussels, an Oxford chum of Mr Johnson’s, “told me this man is a very smart and capable man”.
Nervous-sounding Tory Mr Johnson said: “Fantastic, I can live with that… Phew! We can stop there.”
Mr Kerry replied drily: “It’s called diplomacy.”
Mr Johnson said: “I think we got through that one alright.”
It came as Mr Johnson hosted his first big summit as Foreign Secretary today after US Secretary of State John Kerry flew into town.
The two men discussed climate change, the threat from ISIS and the failed Turkish coup at talks in Whitehall this afternoon.
Today’s meeting came only weeks after Mr Johnson insulted US President Barack Obama with a pointed reference to his Kenyan background during the EU referendum campaign.
The press conference was highly symbolic, taking place in the same room where Mr Obama joined David Cameron and warned Britain would be at the “back of the queue” after Brexit.
But things didn’t get off to a perfect start – with Mr Johnson’s American counterpart bashing his head on the door of 10 Downing Street.
Mr Kerry came to Downing Street – across the road from the Foreign Office – to hold talks with Prime Minister Theresa May.
After the meeting Mr Johnson was also due to host wider talks with the foreign ministers of German, France, Italy and the EU to discuss the conflict in Syria.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boris-johnson-squirms-refuses-apologise-8449644