David Cameron thought Barack Obama was one of the ‘most narcissistic, self-absorbed people’ he had ever dealt with, his former strategy guru has claimed.
While in office the two leaders had a cosy bromance and were pictured high-fiving and playing rounds of golf and ping pong together.
But Steve Hilton tore into Mr Obama for thinking he was ‘smarter’ than everyone else in the room.
And he claimed that his old boss Mr Cameron would get wound up by the ex President’s self absorption.
He said: ‘My old boss, former British prime minister David Cameron, thought Obama was one of the most narcissistic, self-absorbed people he’d ever dealt with.
David Cameron and Barack Obama (pictured playing ping pong together in 2011) had a well-known bromance while in office but the former PM’s ex strategist Steve Hilton claimed Mr Cameron actually thought he was narcissistic
‘Obama never listened to anyone, always thought he was smarter than every expert in the room, and treated every meeting as an opportunity to lecture everyone else.
‘This led to real-world disasters, like Syria and the rise of Isis.’
But the claims were immediately slapped down by a spokesman for the former Prime Minister who said they do not reflect his views.
Mr Hilton made the shocking claim in an interview with Fox News when he railed against ‘elitists’ for criticising Donald trump and claiming he is unfit to hold office.
He said: ‘For them, it’s all about style and tone, not substance and results. Donald Trump offends the elites aesthetically, like a piece of art that’s not to their taste.
‘They can afford to do that because they live in a world of booming neighbourhoods, delightful hipster eateries and everyone they know employed in the virtual world of the knowledge economy.
‘They don’t see what’s going on in the actual economy. Whatever his mental state, [Trump] has achieved more for working Americans in one year than his predecessors did in eight, or 16, frankly.’
Mr Cameron and Mr Obama had been understood to get on well together while in office, and were pictured together playing ping-pong and watching a basketball game.
Steve Hilton, the ex director of strategy for David Cameron pictured in June 2016, said: He said: ‘My old boss, former British prime minister David Cameron, thought Obama was one of the most narcissistic, self-absorbed people he’d ever dealt with.’
The former Tory leader once said of the the President: ‘Yes, he sometimes calls me bro.’
But their special relationship deteriorated and Mr Obama later criticised Mr Cameron for failing to do enough to intervene in Libya saying he had been ‘distracted by a range of other things’.
Mr Hilton fell out with Mr Cameron during the EU referendum campaign after the strategist announced he was backing Brexit.
A spokesman for Cameron said: ‘This does not represent David Cameron’s opinion at all and could not be further from the truth.
‘David Cameron’s views on President Obama – whether in public or in private – are the same: he considers Barack Obama a hugely accomplished president, a great partner for Britain and a good friend to our country and to him personally.’