Deteriorating relationship with May creates tensions

London – When British Prime Minister Theresa May became the first world leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House in January 2017, it appeared the historic friendship between the two nations was in good health.

But a series of spats have driven the two leaders apart, creating tensions ahead of Trump’s fourday visit to Britain, which started yesterday.

Here is a chronology of their deteriorating relationship:

November 2016: The US President-elect tweets that former Ukip leader and Brexit champion Nigel Farage “would do a great job” as Britain’s ambassador to the United States. May’s Downing Street office is forced to say there is “no vacancy”.

January 2017: May meets Trump at the White House, where he predicts that “great days lie ahead for our two peoples and our two countries,” raising hopes of a swift post-Brexit trade deal.

The defining image of the trip is of Trump holding May’s hand as they walk outside the White House.

But the feel-good factor lasts only a matter of hours, as the US leader unexpectedly announces a travel ban from seven Muslim-majority countries.

June 2017: Trump targets London mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack in the British capital.

Picking on a message from Khan telling Londoners there was “no reason to be alarmed” by an increased police presence, Trump tweets: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’”

September 2017: Trump weighs in on another attempted attack, tweeting: “Another attack in London by a loser terrorist. These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!”

November 2017: Trump retweets three videos originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy head of far-right group Britain First, purportedly showing Muslims engaging in acts of violence, although one of the videos was later debunked.

January 2018: Trump says he is not coming to inaugurate the new US embassy building with a tweet, calling its new site in south London an “off location”.

May 2018: Trump tells a National Rifle Association convention that a “once very prestigious hospital” in London was like a “war zone” because of knife crime.

“There’s blood all over the floors,” he says. –