London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 27, 2026

Boris Johnson says dealing with Joe Biden is ‘a breath of fresh air’

Boris Johnson says dealing with Joe Biden is ‘a breath of fresh air’

British prime minister Boris Johnson says working with President Joe Biden has been "a breath of fresh air," particularly on the issue of climate change.
British prime minister Boris Johnson says working with President Joe Biden has been "a breath of fresh air" compared to the previous administration when it comes to one issue in particular.

Johnson spoke to Savannah Guthrie about a range of topics in an exclusive interview on TODAY Tuesday ahead of his United Nations meetings and his first visit to the White House under Biden's presidency.

Asked about his close relationship with former President Donald Trump, Johnson said the U.K. prime minister and U.S. president are "fated to get along," which applies to Trump and now Biden.

"But what I will say about Joe Biden and dealing with the new American president, yes, it is a breath of fresh air in the sense of the some things on which we can really really work together, and you knew I was gonna bring it up — climate change — he’s great on that," Johnson said. "And he wants to cut CO². He wants to get to net zero by 2050, and he shares with me, a basic view that you can do this without penalizing the economy."

Trump openly mocked climate change, calling it "a hoax" and rolling back dozens of environmental rules and regulations.

Johnson also spoke out forcefully against the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, but did not indicate how that affected his relationship with Trump.

"I think America stands for an ideal, and that ideal is that people should be able to choose their governments peacefully," he said. "One person, one vote, by election.

"I just felt that some of the scenes at the Capitol didn’t wholly correspond with that ideal."

He refused to say whether he felt Trump was to blame for inciting the riot.

"I have no knowledge of what happened, but what I think is that, let me put it this way, my admiration for American democracy is undimmed by the whole thing," he said.

Johnson also addressed the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, which drew criticism from both sides of the aisle for being mismanaged. However, many lawmakers also acknowledged it was time to bring an end to a 20-year war.

"The U.K. owes a big debt to the U.S. military for the incredible professionalism and sacrifice that they showed at that airport, at the International Airport," Johnson said. "It was an amazing operation.

"It’s never going to be an easy thing to do to pull out of somewhere like Afghanistan after 20 years in a clean and straightforward way. But you can’t you can’t spend your whole time trying to run another country by proxy. I think that it was a massive logistical success what they did."

Johnson was aware that there was a chance the U.S.-backed government in Kabul could swiftly fall to the Taliban, which happened in a matter of days. He said he talked "frankly" with Biden about the operation.

"There was a spectrum of advice, a spectrum of predictions from the intelligence people, amongst which was the possibility that Kabul would collapse very fast and that the Taliban would would take over very fast," he said. "Of course you're going to look back on it with mixed feelings."

Many members of Congress have also expressed concern over the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan, whose advances under the previous government could be wiped out by the repressive Taliban regime.

"I agree, and it’s a terrible thing now to listen to some of the threats that we’re hearing to their potential, their freedom, their opportunities," Johnson said. "But what we’ve got to do is work together as the West, to say to the new authorities in Afghanistan, in Kabul, 'Look, you want our cash? We want to engage with you, but Afghanistan can't be a breeding ground for terror anymore.'"

In Johnson's mind, it was time for the U.S. to pull its military forces.

"America has been there for 20 years, and it’s a respectable argument to say that enough is enough," he said. "Could we have done it a bit differently? Maybe we could."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Analysis of Reform UK conference highlights deep political divisions over welfare and immigration
Bangladesh garment exports to the United Kingdom reach $915 million in early fiscal year
Royal Navy begins sea trials for new HMS Agamemnon hunter-killer submarine
New report suggests UK data centre expansion will create far fewer jobs than predicted
Major weekend closures announced for London Underground Piccadilly and Central lines
NHS leaders call for emergency winter funding to combat staffing shortages and rising illness
Far-right activist Daniel Thomas charged following alleged slashing of migrant dinghy
Home Secretary orders urgent review of border security following rise in small boat crossings
Prime Minister Andy Burnham to address Labour Party conference amid calls for long-term infrastructure plan
UK Treasury and Bank of England warn of rising inflation risks amid Middle East tensions
Royal Navy Diving Squadron Honoured for Global Bomb Disposal Efforts
UK State Pension Set to Approach £13,000 Per Year Under Triple-Lock
Rolls-Royce Wins Multi-Million-Pound Engine Contract with Philippine Airlines
TfL Questions Future of Heathrow Express Amid Proposed £33 Billion Expansion
Ed Miliband Warns Iran Against Hostile Operations on British Soil
S&P Global Manufacturing Index Signals Stabilization Amid Rising Fuel Costs
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches National Centre for Information Defence
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Surges to £21.1 Billion
OECD Upgrades United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast to 1.1 Percent
Bank of England Faces Policy Challenges as Energy Prices Push Inflation Projections Higher
IMF Urges UK and Major Economies to Reduce Public Borrowing and Debt
UK Government Concedes Chagos Islands Sovereignty Deal is Dead Following Trump Opposition
Prosecutors Seek More Than 10 Years in Prison for Former DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson
UK Provided £66 Million in Emergency Security Funding for Mosques After Southport Disorder
Manston Inquiry Examines Role of Government Decisions in 2022 Overcrowding Crisis
Justice System Capacity Pressures Raise Concerns Over Release of Sex Offenders
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Widens to Record £21.1 Billion
UK Releases Climate Security Findings Previously Withheld Under Starmer
TalkTalk Races to Sell Consumer and Broadband Businesses as Administration Threat Looms
NHS Bodies Impose Minimum Two-Year Waits for ADHD and Autism Assessments
Andy Burnham Pledges £210 Million to Revive Boarded-Up High Streets
UK Borrowing Reaches £18.3 Billion in August Ahead of Autumn Budget
Vistry Cuts Profit Outlook as Losses Deepen and Private Home Sales Weaken
Reported Assaults on Great Britain’s Railways Rise Sharply
Far-Right Activist Daniel Thomas Arrested After Channel Dinghy Slashing
Ukrainians in Britain Face Greater Homelessness Risk as Host Payments Are Cut
Scottish Drug Deaths Rise as Synthetic Opioids Spread
UK Diesel Prices Approach Record High as Energy Costs Intensify
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Widens to Record £21 Billion
Britain’s Largest Planned AI Supercomputer Delayed by Power Grid Constraints
NHS Boards Impose Minimum Waits of Up to Two Years for ADHD and Autism Assessments
Police Arrest Far-Right Activist After Migrant Dinghy Slashed in English Channel
Synthetic Opioids Drive Renewed Rise in Scotland’s Drug Deaths
Reported Assaults on Britain’s Railways Rise 20% in a Year
Vistry Cuts Profit Forecast as Losses Weigh on UK Housebuilder
TikTok Drops Appeal and Accepts £12.7 Million UK Data Protection Fine
Russell Group Urges UK Government to Drop Proposed International Student Levy
Legal & General Plans to Cut 1,000 Jobs by Mid-2027
UK Health Bill Would Remove Independent Governors From NHS Foundation Trusts
BMA Raises Patient Safety Concerns Over Advanced Practitioners Filling Doctor Rotas
×