New UK foreign minister Ed Miliband dodges past Trump 'racist' remarks in Washington

Ed Miliband, the UK's newly appointed foreign secretary, faced a tense moment in Washington as reporters shouted questions about his past descriptions of Donald Trump as "an idiot, a racist and a misogynist." During a meeting at the US State Department with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Miliband ignored the inquiries entirely. Smiling while shaking hands, he simply said, "We are looking forward to our meeting," before proceeding with the official agenda.

Miliband's visit follows a first encounter with Rubio on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' summit in the Philippines last month, which led to this formal invitation. The two diplomats were scheduled to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the ongoing Ukraine war, and the situation in Gaza. However, the dynamic between them is being closely watched, as the White House reportedly has concerns about UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to give Miliband the Foreign Office brief—a move that places a vocal critic of Trump in a key diplomatic role. Miliband's evasiveness underscores the delicate balancing act facing British officials as they navigate relations with the Trump administration while managing domestic political expectations.