US President Donald Trump has said that he agrees with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said he erred in judgement by appointing Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
"Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom acknowledged that he 'exercised wrong judgement' when he chose his ambassador to Washington," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"I agree, he was a really bad pick. Plenty of time to recover, however!"
Starmer accepted full responsibility for the decision earlier on Monday and issued an apology, including to the victims of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Addressing MPs, he said: “I want to be very clear with the House that, while this statement will focus on the process surrounding Peter Mandelson's vetting and appointment, at the heart of this, there is also a judgement I made that was wrong.
“I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision. And I apologise, again, to the victims of the paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, who were clearly failed by my decision.”
Mandelson, long dubbed a political "spin doctor" and the "Prince of Darkness" for his strategic prowess and backroom influence, saw his decades-long career end with his resignations from both the Labour Party and the House of Lords.
He became British ambassador to the US in February 2025 but was dismissed in September after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein had emerged.
Disclosures in the Epstein files show that Jeffrey Epstein made payments totalling about $74,000 between 2003 and 2004 to Mandelson or his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, and covered Silva’s educational expenses.
Emails in the files also suggest that Mandelson shared sensitive UK government information with Epstein during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
Starmer has faced repeated calls to quit over his 2024 decision to appoint Mandelson.
He has accused the ex-envoy of lying about the extent of his ties to Epstein during the vetting process.
The advice submitted to Starmer in December 2024 noted a series of reports detailing Mandelson's links with Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes in Florida in 2008, including soliciting a minor.
It said their relationship "continued across 2009-2011", beginning when Mandelson was a government minister and continuing after the UK's last Labour government ended in 2010.
It also noted that Mandelson "reportedly stayed in Epstein's house while he was in jail in June 2009".
