Trump Reportedly Asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Help Discredit the Mueller Investigation

President Donald Trump asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to help discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, according to a new report from the London Times. Trump called Johnson just days after the Conservative became prime minister.

Trump reportedly called Johnson on 26 July – one day after his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which is now the subject of an impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives. According to the report, Trump asked Johnson for assistance in his attempts to undermine Mueller’s findings on Russian involvement in the 2016 election.

The call appears to be part of a widespread effort to get U.S. allies to help discredit the Special Counsel’s investigation. Attorney General William Barr travelled to the UK days after Trump’s call to Johnson. Barr is also implicated in the Ukraine call and the whistleblower complaint.

My #pmqs on today’s Times report that Trump asked Johnson to help him discredit the Mueller report and undermine the British and American intelligence community pic.twitter.com/Dfnl3zsBuk

— Ben Bradshaw (@BenPBradshaw) October 2, 2019

The Trump administration also reportedly contacted the Australian government as part of its efforts to undermine Mueller, while Barr was involved in discussions with the Italian government on the same matter.

Prime Minister Johnson delivered his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, England today – an event which is likely to dominate the domestic news agenda. However, his call with Trump was raised in the British parliament in his absence.