Trump’s second snub to May in just 48 hours
. . . after handshake ‘ war’ with Macron
DONALD TRUMP was accused of snubbing Theresa May for the second time in 48 hours yesterday, as he charged other nations, including Britain, with ‘robbing’ the US.
The US President’s latest rebuff to the Prime Minister came when he failed to mention her name as he left the G7 summit after a blazing t r ade r ow with f el l ow world leaders. Denying claims of a rift, Mr Trump said he got on well with Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau – but omitted to mention Mrs May.
It came a day after he refused to grant her a one- to- one meeting during the two-day event in Canada, and after Mrs May had arrived at the summit to reports that Mr Trump was tired of her ‘schoolmistress’ tone.
Downing Street tried to gloss over the incident, making it clear that Mr Trump’s controversial visit to the UK in July will not be scrapped – regardless of how hot the trade row with the US gets.
Number 10 sources said the US President was still welcome, stating: ‘It will go ahead, it will happen and it will be great.’ It was also said Mr Trump had reaffirmed his willingness to make a trade agreement, telling Mrs May privately: ‘After Brexit, we’ll do a deal.’
But he lashed out again after he was criticised for slapping steep steel tariffs on the UK and other key allies – a move that has led to an EU threat to impose retaliatory tariffs on £2.4 billion of US imports. Warning EU leaders not to strike back, he claimed the US was ‘like the piggy bank that everyone is robbing’, adding: ‘If they retaliate, they’re making a mistake.’
Mr Trump’s antics brought the curtain down on the most fractious G7 meeting in years. Trying to play down the rifts, the US President said: ‘I would say that the level of relationships is a ten – we have a great relationship. Angela (Merkel) and Emmanuel [ Macron] and Justin [Trudeau] – I would say the relationship is a ten.’
But there was no mention of Mrs May and, despite name checking Mr Macron, the two leaders were seen in an extraordinary handshake tussle that the French president appeared to win.
In their meeting at the summit, Mr Macron gripped Mr Trump above the elbow before offering his hand. Mr Trump took it and the pair pumped hands for around five seconds, during which the French president gripped his opposite number so strongly that it left an imprint. He also winked cheekily as Mr Trump winced.
The incident prompted reports that it was the former’s ‘revenge’ for the way the latter brushed off a fleck of dandruff from his shoulder when they met in the US in April.
Mr Trump, who left the summit early for talks in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, also ruffled feathers when he arrived late for a G7 meeting on boosting gender equality – to clear disapproval from Mrs Merkel and IMF boss Christine Lagarde.
And G7 leaders expressed dismay at Mr Trump’s provocative call for Russia to be readmitted to the annual summit meetings, which comes in the wake of the Salisbury poison attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter. He said: ‘ I think having Russia back would be a positive thing. We are looking for peace in the world – we are not looking to play games.’
Despite Mr Trump’s early exit, the summit, an annual gathering of the seven biggest economies in the West, was set to conclude last night with a joint communique.