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The Biden administration on Friday defended the decision to remove the bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from the Oval Office – creating a bright video designed to remind people “what the special relationship is really about.”
“We’ve seen discussions about the Churchill bust, so we just wanted to remind everyone what the special relationship is really about,” a tweet from the US Embassy in the UK said.
BIDEN REMOVES BUST OF CHURCHILL FROM OVAL OFFICE AS PART OF REDESIGN
The video contrasts images of the hustle and bustle, which she describes as “just a bust of Winston Churchill” with photos of former presidents meeting with former prime ministers – and highlights of the relationship with the USUK .
“The biggest investors in each of the other countries. That’s the special relationship,” the video reads. “The special relationship is about people, values and trust.”
President Biden had removed the bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from display in the Oval Office. The Washington Post, as part of a tour of the famous venue’s new design, reported that Biden “does not have his bust on display.” However, other busts, including union leader Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr., are on display.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair loaned President George W. Bush a bust of the wartime British leader in 2001. Former President Barack Obama caused controversy by removing him when he took office in 2009, and critics saw him as a snub from the US-UK Alliance – although his White House noted that there was still a bust of Churchill elsewhere in the building.
Controversy simmered for years, with then-London Mayor Boris Johnson noting in 2016 that “some said it was a snub to Britain.”
Former President Donald Trump restored a bust of Churchill to the Oval Office when he became president, and posted it with then-Prime Minister Theresa May at their first meeting in Washington in 2017.
“These are the original people, in many ways,” he told reporters at the time. “It is a great honor to be reunited with Winston Churchill.”
“We are very happy,” May replied.
The British government, which saw a pro-Brexit leader in Washington when Trump was president, will monitor how Biden handles relations between the two countries. The UK is hoping for a solid free trade deal with the US now that it has left the European Union and seeks to solidify its economic independence.
Biden’s decision to remove the bust had drawn criticism among conservative figures on both sides of the Atlantic. British Reform Party leader and Trump ally Nigel Farage described it as “a slap in the face to the British and any prospect of good relations.”
Nile Gardiner, foreign policy analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, criticized the US Embassy video.
“White House Biden is redoubling its efforts to remove Churchill’s bust from the Oval Office, claiming it is” just a bust of Winston Churchill, “he said.” Sir Winston Churchill saved the free world. He’s a huge hero on both sides of the Atlantic. Show respect. “
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The Biden administration’s decision to downplay any controversy, however, was shared by the British government. Asked about the bust, a spokesperson for 10 Downing Street told the Daily Mail: “The Oval Office is the President’s private office and it is up to the President to decorate it as he wishes.”
The spokesperson added: “We have no doubts about the importance President Biden places on US-UK relations.”
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