I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday evening, soon after the impeachment process was defeated. If the Democrats thought they could wear him down, I can confirm they are sorely mistaken. Trump’s base is now more determined to go and vote for him than ever. With just a little bi-partisanship, so much could have been achieved in infrastructure projects and much else since 2016. But the swamp decided it would continue to attempt to delegitimize the President. This does not impress middle America.

There are still nine long months to go until the election, but it is worth noting that Donald Trump’s personal popularity is now at its high point and, barring any disasters, he seems set to return to the White House for four more years. This should be great news for the newly independent Britain, freed from the shackles of the European Union, but I am afraid a dark cloud hangs over the country at present. The recent decision of the UK government to involve the Chinese technology firm Huawei in the creation of our 5G network imperils not just intelligence sharing but a future trade deal passing in Congress. Forming ties with this company is proving to be a monumental mistake at a time when the special relationship should be flourishing.

I travelled back to London having thoroughly enjoyed the week and was pleased to see, on landing, that some senior figures in the Conservative Party have also stood up to denounce the Huawei deal as a disaster. Let us hope that this decision can be suspended and overturned, and that we can get the special relationship back on track. Perhaps the UK’s new ambassador to Washington, Karen Pierce, will help. Then again, maybe I am being too optimistic. She is a career Foreign Office type in the same mould as her predecessor, Kim Darroch. When will Downing Street learn?