Boris Johnson defends Donald Trump over Jan. 6 riots

LONDON — Boris Johnson insisted Donald Trump wasn’t trying to “overthrow the constitution” despite riots by his supporters against the 2020 U.S. presidential election result on Jan. 6, 2021.

The former British prime minister, out plugging his new memoir, said the former U.S. president managed the successful transfer of power to President Joe Biden — despite contesting the result and snubbing the inauguration.

“I personally don’t think he intended to overthrow the constitution and what actually happened was the peaceful transfer of democratic power from one administration to another,” Johnson told Times Radio, adding that’s “got to happen in November” in the fight between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Johnson insisted that Trump’s refusal to concede the election and claim widespread voter fraud “doesn’t” rule him unfit to enter the White House again.

While Johnson was still in office, the senior Conservative condemned Trump as “completely wrong” for doubting on the result and encouraging the “disgraceful” behavior of his supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The pair were close allies in office, with the ex-PM meeting Trump at least twice since leaving power to discuss the war in Ukraine. Johnson has traveled widely to ensure continued American support for Kyiv if the ex-president returns to power.

Though Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to make concessions to Moscow, Johnson suggested the ex-president could be more supportive than expected.

“He gave the javelins to the Ukrainians where the Democrats didn’t, right? When I was foreign secretary, he kicked out those Russian spies. Sixty of them. So he can surprise very much on the upside.”