Boris Johnson wades into US election row backing Donald Trump and Elon Musk plan

Boris Johnson has backed Donald Trump’s plan to dramatically slash public spending in the US.

The former US President has pledged to put erratic tech billionaire Elon Musk in charge of “government efficiency” if he’s elected for a second term in the White House on Tuesday. And he suggested the wild proposal should be “looked at seriously” in the UK as well.

Mr Musk has claimed he’d be able to cut $2 trillion from US public spending on day one.

The entire “discretionary” spending budget of the US is $1.7 trillion, around half of which is the $800m defence budget. The remaining half includes all spending on education, public health, transport, the justice system, veterans benefits and low-pay benefits. The US has a mandatory spending budget of another $3.8 trillion, which is largely made up of state pensions and medical cover for the elderly and low-paid.

Asked on CNN how a free-market “Thatcherite” Tory could support Donald Trump’s “protectionist, nationalist” government, Mr Johnson said: “I gather that Elon Musk is going to come in and cut two trillion off government spending.

“So if that’s the agenda, then I think that needs to be looked at seriously, because I I do I do think there is a case that Western democracies like the UK, perhaps like the US as well, that the state has got too big.”

And he said he didn’t believe Trump would abandon Ukraine if he wins Tuesday’s election – despite the former President’s opposition to funding Kyiv.

“I’m very, very concerned,” he said.

“But I believe on the basis of what Donald Trump has done in the past that he will be robust. I really do.

“I cannot believe that a guy who is so passionate about his country, about Making America Great Again, which he wants to do and is so convincing about that, would want to kick off that his next Presidential term by basically allowing the Soviet Empire to be great again.

“I can’t believe that he will allow that to happen.”