UK working to 'mitigate' White House attitudes: Boris Johnson

[LONDON] UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Britain is making progress in its attempts to moderate some of President Donald Trump's positions, as he praised the US leader for successfully engaging people in politics.

Mr Trump, who is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May Friday, has "gripped the imagination of people around the world" through his use of social media, Mr Johnson said. Still, Britain doesn't always agree with what he posts.

"We in the UK do not agree by any means with everything that Washington currently says," Mr Johnson said in an interview with BBC Radio 4.

"It's the UK that is actually helping, we think, to mitigate, to get some of those American attitudes and policies that are currently coming out of the White House into a better place."

Mr Johnson said there's been "a lot of progress" changing the administration's positions.

Mr Trump "raises people's awareness of issues, he engages in a very direct way," Mr Johnson said.

"He's engaged people in politics in a way we haven't seen for a very long time with his tweets and the rest of it."

BLOOMBERG