Trump tells May to sue EU to speed Brexit

PM DEMURS

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND • U.S. President Donald Trump told British Prime Minister Theresa May that she should “sue” the European Union for a quicker Brexit, May said Sunday.

“He told me I should sue the EU — not go into negotiations. Sue them. Actually, no, we’re going into negotiations with them,” May told the BBC.

It is unclear how such a lawsuit would work for Britain, a member of the European Union, but Trump has often threatened lawsuits in dealmaking.

The two leaders have disagreed on how May should handle the exit from the bloc, with Trump frequently haranguing her to hurry the process.

Trump also continued his public criticisms of the EU, calling it a “foe” in a CBS interview that aired Sunday.

“I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade,” Trump said. “Now, you wouldn’t think of the European Union but they’re a foe. Russia is a foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly they are a foe. But that doesn’t mean they are bad.”

Saying the EU is “very difficult,” Trump berated the 28-member union over trade, complaining that European nations have taken advantage of the U.S. He also continued criticisms of NATO, saying other nations in the alliance weren’t spending enough money on national defence.