CNN’s Jake Tapper tried to egg British Prime Minister Boris Johnson into bashing the state of democracy in the United States during an interview on Sunday and Johnson did not take the bait.
“When I talk to friends in Canada, the U.K., Australia and elsewhere, people express concern about the United States … in terms of our ability and our institutions to thrive and continue, after what happened with the election of 2020,” Tapper said. “They’re worried that democracy is on life support in the United States.”
“Are you worried at all?” Tapper asked. “Do you look at—”
“No,” Johnson fired back.
“You’re not?” Tapper asked in an apparent state of surprise.
“I want to say this to the people of the United States. I’m not,” Johnson responded. “I think that — I just get back to the — what I have been trying to say to you throughout this interview. I think that reports of the death of democracy in the United States are grossly, grossly exaggerated. America is a shining city on a hill.
“I don’t believe that American democracy is under serious threat, far from it,” Johnson later added. “I continue to believe that America is the greatest global guarantor of democracy and freedom.”
WATCH:
"I think that reports of the death of democracy in the United States are grossly, grossly exaggerated."
British Prime Minister @BorisJohnson tells CNN's @jaketapper why he is not concerned about the state of US democracy. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/ovRc8Tt41O
— CNN (@CNN) June 26, 2022
TRANSCRIPT:
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: So, we’re here at the G7, a gathering of the world’s leading democracies. When I talk to friends in Canada, the U.K., Australia and elsewhere, people express concern about the United States as…
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The United States?
TAPPER: About the United States in terms of our ability and our institutions to thrive and continue, after what happened with the election of 2020. They’re worried that democracy is on life support in the United States.
People might not know this about you, but you were born in the United States. And until recently, you…
JOHNSON: I was.
TAPPER: And…
JOHNSON: I was. I was born in New York City…
TAPPER: As was I.
JOHNSON: … a fantastic place.
Jake, where you were born? Where you were born in New York?
TAPPER: Where was I — Staten Island.
JOHNSON: All right. I was born in New York General Hospital.
TAPPER: Are you worried at all? Do you look at…
JOHNSON: No.
TAPPER: You’re not?
JOHNSON: I want to say this to the people of the United States. I’m not.
I think that — I just get back to the — what I have been trying to say to you throughout this interview. I think that reports of the death of democracy in the United States are grossly, grossly exaggerated. America is a shining city on a hill.
And, for me, for my — and it will continue to be so. And I think that the mere fact that Joe Biden has stepped up to the plate in the way that he has shows that the instincts of America are still very much in the right place.
And, yes, look, I mean, there were some weird and kind of unattractive scenes back in the — you know, back in… TAPPER: People died. I mean, it was pretty serious.
JOHNSON: It was — it was pretty weird. I won’t deny that.
TAPPER: It was worse than weird. I mean…
JOHNSON: Looking from the outside, it was pretty weird.
But I don’t believe that American democracy is under serious threat, far from it. I continue to believe that America is the greatest global guarantor of democracy and freedom.
TAPPER: Joe Biden talks about the world in terms of autocracies and democracies, and it’s — this is the big struggle. You talk about it that way as well.
He also talks about the United States is going through that, that struggle, and he sees Donald Trump as autocratic, as somebody who didn’t respect the will of the people, who — there are hearings going on right now. I know you’re familiar with them, bipartisan hearings, about all the ways to Donald Trump — Trump tried to undo the election…
JOHNSON: Yes.
TAPPER: … undo democracy.
JOHNSON: Jake, I’m going to — I’m going to take the Fifth on this, because this is — the convention in…
TAPPER: You don’t have a Fifth. That’s…
JOHNSON: Well, OK. Well, OK. I was born in New York. But I had to give up my citizenship because it was just so expensive.
But, look, the fact is that we, as friends and partners — and there are no two closer friends and partners than the U.S. and the U.K. — we don’t talk about domestic — in principle, we shouldn’t talk about each other’s domestic politics. And it’s — that’s for the people of U.S.
TAPPER: Thanks so much for your time today.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
TAPPER: I really appreciate it.
JOHNSON: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
TAPPER: Nice to meet another New Yorker.
JOHNSON: Yes.
RELATED: