Boris Johnson’s chaotic path to power finally pays off

Boris Johnson’s chaotic path to power finally pays off
In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo Conservative leadership candidate Boris Johnson gives the thumbs at the Wight Shipyard Company at Venture Quay during a visit to the Isle of Wight, England. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool Photo via AP, File)

LONDON (AP) — Boris Johnson aspires to be a modern-day Winston Churchill. Critics fear he’s a British Donald Trump.

Johnson won the contest to lead the governing Conservative Party on Tuesday, and is set to become Britain’s prime minister on Wednesday.

Full Coverage: Brexit

Like revered World War II leader Churchill, Johnson aims to turn a national crisis — in this case Brexit — into a triumph. Like Trump, he gained his country’s top political office by deploying celebrity, clowning, provocation and a loose relationship with the truth.