US President Donald Trump has faced a backlash from UK politicians, including government ministers, after criticising Theresa May's Brexit strategy. In an interview with The Sun, Trump said the Prime Minister's plan would 'probably kill' a UK-US trade deal and suggested Boris Johnson would make a 'great prime minister'.
Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan defended Trump, calling him a 'controversialist' and noting that his style 'brings colour to the world stage'. However, other Conservative ministers disagreed. Sam Gyimah questioned the president's manners, while Digital Minister Margot James said Johnson 'would make a terrible PM'. Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston accused Trump of 'deeply insulting' behaviour and 'dog whistle politics about immigration'.
In the interview, Trump claimed immigration had 'changed the fabric of Europe' and warned that unless action is taken quickly, 'it's never going to be what it was'. He added that the UK was 'losing your culture' and pointed to areas that 'didn't exist 10 or 15 years ago'. Wollaston criticised his 'bullying approach' and 'infantilising imagery' of holding May's hand, praising the Prime Minister's 'great statesmanship'.
Chancellor Philip Hammond struck an optimistic note, saying Trump had been 'nodding furiously' while May spoke during a dinner at Blenheim Palace. Opposition parties reacted scathingly, with Labour's Emily Thornberry accusing Trump of 'childish behaviour of the worst sort' and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable saying the president 'now chooses our leaders'.
Eurosceptic Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg defended Trump's comments as 'perfectly reasonable', arguing that the president was merely stating his view on trade. He contrasted this with former US President Barack Obama's intervention during the 2016 EU referendum, which he described as 'interference'. Another Eurosceptic MP, Nigel Evans, said Trump 'loves our country'.
