British Prime Minster Theresa May and her husband Philip stand together with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the entrance to Blenheim Palace, where they are attending a dinner with specially invited guests and business leaders, near Oxford, Britain, July 12, 2018.
President Donald Trump directly criticised Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy, saying it had probably killed off hope of a U.S.-British trade deal and that she had failed to take his advice on how to negotiate with the European Union.
In an interview published just hours before he was due to have lunch with May and tea with Queen Elizabeth on Friday, Trump chided the "very unfortunate" results of the prime minister's Brexit negotiation.
"If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the UK, so it will probably kill the deal," Trump told the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun newspaper.
"I would have done it much differently," he told The Sun, which urged its readers to back Brexit before a referendum in June 2016. "I actually told Theresa May how to do it, but she didn't listen to me."
Protesters lined the road outside Blenheim Palace, near Oxford to the northwest of London and booed before U.S. President Donald Trump's arrival on Thursday (July 12).
Trump met by wall of protesters outside Blenheim Palace
Such public criticism by a sitting U.S. president of a British prime minister while on a visit to the United Kingdom publicly undermines May in her party, her country and abroad.
When asked about the comments, May's spokesman said she was looking forward to sitting down with Trump to talk him through the negotiating stance.
As Britain prepares to leave the EU on March 29, 2019, supporters of Brexit have made much of the so-called special relationship with the United States and the benefits of forging closer trade ties with the world's biggest economy.
European Union countries are completely united on trade and will not be divided by the threat of further U.S. import tariffs, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday.Asked about the threat that U.S. President Donald Trump could extend increased import tariffs from steel and aluminium to EU cars, Le Maire said EU states were determined to maintain a united stance."Nobody will divide France and Germany never, never, never, and nobody will divide the EU member states. Everybody is aware that the unity of the European countries is the right response to the raise of tariffs," he told reporters before a meeting of EU finance ministers.Trump claims victory after forcing NATO crisis talksEU tells UK financial firms time running out for Brexit licencesTrump keeps up spending demands at NATO but turns on charm
'EU will not be divided over US tariffs'
Many have cast May's plan as a betrayal, including lawmakers in her divided Conservative Party, who have warned that she might face a leadership challenge.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president "likes and respects Prime Minister May very much," adding that he said in the interview she "is a very good person” and that he "never said anything bad about her".
BREXIT AND TRUMP
For supporters, Trump and Brexit offer the prospect of breaking free from what they see as obsolete institutions and rules.
But for many British diplomats, Brexit marks the collapse of a 70-year strategy of trying to balance European integration with a U.S. alliance based on blood, trade and intelligence sharing.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was preposterous for Donald Trump to blame a rise in violent crime in the city on immigration after the U.S. president criticised his handling of crime and militant attacks."The idea that you can blame this on immigration from Africa is I think preposterous and we should call him out when he does so," Khan told BBC radio on Friday.Trump told the Sun newspaper that the London mayor had "done a very bad job on terrorism" and referred to "crime that is being brought in" to the city."I think he has done a very bad job on terrorism," Trump told the Sun. "I think he has done a bad job on crime, if you look, all of the horrible things going on there, with all of the crime that is being brought in."Trump says May's Brexit plan kills hope of a US trade deal
London mayor says preposterous for Trump to blame crime on immigration
Trump has frequently angered British politicians. Late last year, May criticised him for retweeting a message by a member of a British far-right group, and the speaker of parliament has said Trump would not be welcome to address the chamber.
More than 64,000 people have signed up to demonstrate in London against Trump's visit. On Friday, protesters began preparations to fly a large balloon over parliament depicting the president as an orange, snarling baby.
On Thursday, May invoked World War Two leader Winston Churchill as she addressed Trump and business leaders at a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace, the 18th century country house where Churchill was born.
"Mr. President, Sir Winston Churchill once said that 'to have the United States at our side was, to me, the greatest joy'," May told Trump, according to a text of her speech.
"The spirit of friendship and cooperation between our countries, our leaders and our people, that most special of relationships, has a long and proud history," she said, adding that the United States was "not just the closest of allies but the dearest of friends".
Outside the mansion, northwest of London, a couple of thousand booing demonstrators lined the road. It was one of more than a hundred protests police expected during Trump's four-day trip.
"I think it’s a travesty of British values. How can we roll out the red carpet for someone who stands for everything we stand against?" said academic Emily Jones, 40, one of those protesting outside Blenheim Palace.
While Trump's trip was not the full state visit he was originally promised, he was heralded by military bands on his arrival in the country and at Blenheim, and he is scheduled to take the tea with Queen Elizabeth.