Editor's note: Zhao Yuanzhen is an opinion editor with CGTN Digital. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

According to U.S. President Donald Trump, he is "great" at many things including being president, building walls and "beating" China. But on British politics, he should not have forgotten just how much British people dislike him and in general, how they hate foreign politicians interfering in their own business.

In a radio interview with Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage, Trump discussed his attitude towards the UK general elections. He described UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a "fantastic man and I think he's the exact right guy for the times," while trashing Labor Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying that "Corbyn would be so bad for your country. He'd be so bad, he'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places."

He even suggested that Johnson and Farage could work together in the new government to deliver Brexit as a "great team."

For Johnson, getting explicit support from Trump might be the last thing he needs for his election campaign. According to YouGov survey data, Trump's approval rating is only 21 percent in the UK, while his predecessor Barack Obama enjoys a 73 percent favorable rating. Every time Trump visits the UK, instead of being cheered, he's welcomed by a "Baby Trump" balloon.

The question remains, why do so many British people dislike Trump? To be sure, Britons have always had a somewhat condescending view of America, or any other country for that matter. For any mature and sophisticated British person, Trump's vulgarity and harshness only raises their brows.  

Is Obama's foreign policy better than Trump? At least in terms of bombing and initiating wars, Trump's focus on domestic affairs have made America less directly engaged in conflicts in the Middle East. It seems that the fact should have raised some Trump's status among British people, who generally hate interference. But compared with a modest and polite Obama, it is easy to find everything that a British person would dislike about an American in Trump. The protest slogans against Trump's state visit to the UK were almost all personal attacks rather than against any of his politics. The slogan "Keep your tiny hands off our Queen" says it all.

Against this background, Johnson probably prefers not to enter the campaign trail seen as the U.S. president's "poodle," especially when he is already considered as the "second Trump." Labor has already quickly seized the opportunity by accusing Trump of interfering in UK general elections and emphasized the friendship between Johnson and Trump.

But again, it should be reminded that apart from Obama, it is not easy for British people to like any foreign leader. Behind Obama on the list is Hillary Clinton, whose approval rating is only 29 percent.  And both of them are Democrats, whose values are consistent with the UK who also emphasizes democracy and human rights. But Trump's indifference to those issues has challenged the long-held value system between the two countries who have been enjoying a "special relationship."

Worse, his criticism towards Johnson's Brexit deal raises alarms bells in British people's minds as it sounds more like threats rather than suggestions and offers. When Trump says that he wants to make more trade with the UK, but he does not like the current Brexit deal, the British people hear, "It's Europe or the U.S." When exceptionalism still runs through Britain's blood, Trump's words have gone too far.

It is also the worst time for Trump to jump in to tell British people what to do, when Brexit has already split and exhausted the country; weak economic growth has raised serious security and doubts among British citizens. According to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, "in the long run the UK economy would be 3.5 percent smaller … compared to continued EU membership," and that Johnson's Brexit deal would fail to generate dividends.  Faced with gloomy December elections, Britons would hope for nothing more than a certain Brexit without Trump being a backseat driver.

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