The U.S. ambassador to Great Britain wrote an op-ed in a British newspaper Thursday praising the new U.S. Embassy in London, the same building that President Trump slammed in a tweet on Friday morning.
“It is the most secure, hi-tech and environmentally friendly embassy that the United States has ever built. Purchased and built from the sale of our London properties, the new embassy did not cost the US taxpayer a cent,” Ambassador Woody Johnson wrote in the Evening Standard. “Yet is one of the most advanced embassies we have ever built.”
Trump announced via Twitter on Thursday that he had cancelled his planned trip to London for the opening of the new billion-dollar embassy, bashing the building’s “off location” and large price tag. The president’s visit was expected to be met with large protests.
“Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for ‘peanuts,’ only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars,” Trump said. “Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!”
Johnson sided with Trump on the historical location of the old embassy, which he noted dates back to 1785 when John Adams was the first official ambassador to the U.K., but pointed to the American-designed building’s merits.
“I agree with President Trump that Grosvenor Square, in the heart of London, was a perfect location for our embassy. Security concerns after September 11 meant we had to move to a location that could better protect American citizens and our British neighbors. On Tuesday we will open the doors of our brand-new embassy to the general public in Nine Elms, a site selected under a previous administration.”
The decision to move out of Grosvenor Square, the old embassy’s location, was made in 2008 under President George W. Bush. The new embassy has drawn criticism for being placed within a developing neighborhood.
“That’s not an accident. The United States is re-investing in the Special Relationship. President Trump has told me he views the UK as one of the closest friends and partners of the American people we serve,” Johnson wrote. “Our new embassy reflects not just America’s special history with the UK but the special future ahead of us as we advance the prosperity and security of both our nations.”