Breitbart London editor in chief Raheem Kassam said that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump needs to live up to his campaign promises.
Appearing on the BBC in the aftermath of the historic election of Donald Trump, Kassam has said that now Mr. Trump had been elected it was time to hold him to scrutiny on his campaign promises including the huge infrastructure project of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and trade.
Mr. Kassam was asked his reaction to the win, which saw Mr. Trump defy the polls and media projections to become the 45th president of the United States. “Some of the people on my side of the equation have been calling this for a good 18 months now,” he said and noted the similarities between the presidential election and the Brexit vote.
Trump himself had supported Brexit and after the June referendum said people would call him “Mr. Brexit” after he managed to pull off a similar upset to the establishment.
“Last night, it really did feel like the Brexit victory party as well. There were highs, lows, and nerves,” Kassam added and congratulated both President Barack Obama and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for their speeches of unity and acceptance of the result.
Mr. Kassam did make clear was that he would be holding Trump’s feet to the fire on his campaign promises – especially the proposed southern border wall.
“We have to be very careful, and make sure there’s the appropriate amount of scrutiny for him,” he said adding: ” I am sceptical of massive government projects, so the building of a wall is quite a feat. That is in terms of how quickly you can get it done, the cost, who the contractors are, and whether it works or not. That is the toughest thing he faces in the next four years.”
Trade has also become a central pillar of the Trump campaign and Kassam believes that Trump can deliver on reforms to free trade agreements like NAFTA.
“His promises on trade specifically, renegotiating agreements, for example. Those things where he can leave a lasting mark for the American worker. I hope, when we look back on the Donald Trump presidency, that will be one of the biggest legacies,” he said.
When it came to relations between the UK and the newly elected American executive branch, Kassam said he felt confident both countries could work together to resolve common issues and that the election wouldn’t harm the special relationship between the two nations.
Kassam was critical of MPs who had attempted to ban Trump from the UK earlier this year and said parliament need to show “contrition” to the new American president.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.