Share

Trump: Softened Brexit Deal Will Kill US-UK Trade Agreement

Share

President Donald Trump continued his international travel after this week’s NATO summit in Belgium, arriving in the United Kingdom for a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Prior to a joint press conference on Friday, though, a bombshell interview with the U.K. Sun revealed Trump’s harsh assessment of May’s negotiation of her nation’s Brexit campaign.

Apparently concluding that the recently unveiled strategy for Britain’s exit from the European Union was too weak, he claimed that May “didn’t listen” to his input on the matter prior to releasing a document outlining the Brexit approach.

“We are cracking down right now on the European Union because they have not treated the United States fairly on trading,” he said. “No, if they would do that I would say that that would probably end a major trade relationship with the United States.”

“I would have done it much differently,” he continued. “I actually told Theresa May how to do it but she didn’t agree, she didn’t listen to me.”

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

Though some British commentators saw Trump’s remarks as a blow to the strong unified front the U.S. and U.K. have consistently displayed for generations, others dismissed the rhetoric as further evidence of the president’s unorthodox style.

“Donald Trump is in many ways a controversialist,” said Tory Member of Parliament Alan Duncan. “That’s his style, that’s the color he brings to the world stage. He is that sense very unconventional. I don’t think we see it as rude.”

The controversy did not end with Trump’s comments on May’s Brexit strategy. Though he was not entirely critical of the prime minister’s performance, he did offer some praise for former U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Shortly after May released her plan, Johnson, who was a major proponent of Britain’s effort to leave the E.U., was one of several officials who chose to resign.

Is the relationship between Britain and the U.S. still strong?

Trump referred to Johnson as a rising leader in the U.K. and said he would have performed well in May’s position.

“Well I am not pitting one against the other,” he told The Sun. “I am just saying that he would be a great prime minister. I think he’s got what it takes.”

Against a backdrop of major protests against Trump’s visit to the U.K., Friday’s press conference belied any perceived hostility uncovered in the recent interview.

Trump downplayed his quotes and told one reporter that he did not give May “advice” about the Brexit strategy.

“I did give her a suggestion,” he said. “I wouldn’t say advice. And I think she found it maybe too brutal.”

Related:
Biden and Trump Visit New York at Same Time - One Mingles with Elites at Ritzy Fundraiser, the Other Honors a Fallen Police Officer

Though neither leader revealed the details of Trump’s suggestion, he said he could “fully understand why she thought it was a little bit tough.”

Nevertheless, Trump predicted that if the current strategy stalls or fails, May might still consider the harsher approach.

“Maybe someday she will do that,” he said. “If they don’t make the right deal she might very well do what I suggested that she might want to do. But it is not an easy thing.”

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , ,
Share
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a wide range of newsrooms.
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of newsroom settings. After covering crime and other beats for newspapers and radio stations across the U.S., he served as managing editor at Western Journalism until 2017. He has also been a regular guest and guest host on several syndicated radio programs. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and son.
Birthplace
Virginia
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Texas Press Association, Best News Writing - 2012
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism - Averett University
Professional Memberships
Online News Association
Location
Arizona
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment




Conversation