As much as President Donald Trump was criticized for an early blessing of Brexiteer Boris Johnson to be the United Kingdom's next prime minister, Johnson's succession to Theresa May now seems so certain, other world leaders are weighing in behind him.
Asked by Newsmax on Monday whether there would be cooperation with a British government headed by a "Prime Minister Johnson," Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini replied without hesitation: "There will be cooperation between London and Rome."
"I was at the British embassy this week, so I was there with the government," said Salvini, who is leader of one of the two largest parties in Italy's ruling coalition.
Salvini spoke to us at the Italian Ambassador's residence while he was in Washington, D.C. for meetings with Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and other Trump administration officials.
The Italian leader made a clear reference to polls showing Johnson a big winner among dues-paying Conservative Party Members who will make the final selection of a leader in a primary next month. (The elected leader will thereupon succeed May as prime minister).
"Democracy provides for the respect of the people's vote," Salvini told us. "And Boris Johnson is very popular with the people."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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