Former Foreign Secretary Says Trump Is Working Through Election Promises

2 June 2018, 16:52

A former foreign secretary told Andrew Castle that Trump is only working through his election promises to please "his base" as the President imposes new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

Marageret Beckett said that Donald Trump is working through a "checklist" of promises he made during his presidential campaign, "no matter how ridiculous or counter-productive they may be."

The Labour MP told Andrew Castle that: "support from his base depends on him showing that he has tried to deliver as he promised, and that's more important than anything else."

The former foreign secretary's comments come as the President imposes new trade tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into America.

The UK's trade secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said that the new tariffs were "illegal".

Asked whether she agreed with Dr Fox, Ms Beckett said: "It may well be the case," but that Trump "probably thinks it's a matter of indifference but even the United States is not always exempt from international law.

"So he find that although he doesn't think it doesn't matters, actually it does."