<p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/60bdda9ae459cb0018a2c694-1838/boris johnson biden.jpg" border="0" alt="boris johnson biden" data-mce-source="Getty"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was upset that President Joe Biden referred to the "special relationship" between the US and UK, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/boris-johnson-minister-of-chaos/619010/">according to a new profile by The Atlantic's Tom McTague</a>.</p><p>The in-depth profile, which published Monday, was the result of four months of reporting in which McTague followed Johnson around the UK, and interviewed him and his aides.</p><p>The profile includes one anecdote, given by one of Johnson's aides, that Johnson pushed back on Biden in an early phone call with the US president.</p><p>In the call, Biden referred to the "special relationship" between the UK and US, but Johnson said he didn't like the term, The Atlantic reported.</p><p>"To Johnson it seemed needy and weak," the report said.</p><p>Insider contacted Downing Street for comment. </p><p>The Atlantic did not specify on what day Johnson and Biden spoke, but Biden spoke to Johnson for the first time as president on January 23. According to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/23/readout-of-president-joe-biden-call-with-prime-minister-boris-johnson-of-the-united-kingdom/">the White House readout of the call</a>, Biden "conveyed his intention to strengthen the special relationship between our countries."</p><p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/60bddded93c6fa00195e56b3-2000/Biden.jpg" border="0" alt="Biden" data-mce-source="Nicholas Kamm/Associated Press" data-mce-caption="President Joe Biden drives the new electric Ford F-150 lightning at the Ford Dearborn Development Center in Dearborn, Michigan on May 18, 2021."></p><p>The term "special relationship" is widely attributed to Britain's wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, whom Johnson wrote a book about and is known to idolize.</p><p>The phrase is often used by both British and American politicians to perpetuate the idea that the US and UK are equally reliant on each other. </p><p>On May 3, secretary of state Anthony Blinken <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/dominic-raab-russia-president-winston-churchill-white-house-b933029.html">said</a> the US has "no closer ally" than the UK and praised the "special relationship."</p><p>In an opinion article <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/05/joe-biden-europe-trip-agenda/">published Sunday by The Washington Post</a>, Biden wrote that he would use his upcoming visit to the UK for the G7 summit "to affirm the special relationship between our nations."</p><p>The G7 summit is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/police-preparing-for-biden-arrival-at-g7-in-cornwall-2021-4">being held in Cornwall between June 11 and June 13</a>. After the summit concludes, Biden and his wife Jill <a href="https://www.insider.com/bidens-meet-queen-june-13-windsor-castle-2021-6">are due to meet Queen Elizabeth II</a>.</p><p>Since becoming president, Biden has made it clear that the UK's stance on Northern Ireland is jeopardizing good relations.</p><p>In November last year, Biden <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-boris-johnson-new-brexit-warning-on-irish-border-2020-11">said he had told Johnson that he didn't want a hard border between Britain and Northern Ireland</a> to emerge after Brexit. "The idea of having a border north and south once again being closed is just not right, we've just got to keep the border open," he said.</p><p>On Monday, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/joe-biden-raises-pressure-on-boris-johnson-to-solve-northern-ireland-impasse-x2wgx87ph">The Times of London reported</a> that Biden would raise the issue once again with Johson during the G7 summit.</p><p>Biden also plans to tell Johnson that the prospect of a UK-US trade deal will be damaged if the border scenario remains unsolved, the Times said.</p><p>Members of Biden's 2020 election campaign told Insider last year that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-victory-spells-trouble-uk-us-relations-boris-johnson-2020-11">Biden does not view Johnson favorably</a>, and that Biden still remembers the UK prime minister's past jabs against former President Barack Obama.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-annoyed-biden-mention-uk-us-special-relationship-report-2021-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-1999-russian-apartment-bombings-led-to-putins-rise-to-power-2018-3">How the 1999 Russian apartment bombings led to Putin's rise to power</a></p>
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