Johnson blasts Trump... but state visit is still on next year
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s reaction to the clash in the US between far-Right groups and anti-fascist protesters was yesterday condemned as “totally wrong” by Boris Johnson.
The Foreign Secretary joined in widespread international criticism of the way Mr Trump responded to the violence in Virginia on August 12. But he also made clear Mr Trump was still welcome to make a state visit to Britain, hinting that the trip is likely to take place next year.
Mr Trump has been attacked in the US and globally for condemning the Charlottesville violence “from all sides”, rather than specifically blaming the white supremacists whose rally triggered demonstrations by anti-fascist groups.
Questioned about the row in a BBC interview, Mr Johnson said: “He got it totally wrong and it was a great shame he failed to make a clear fast distinction, which we’re all able to make, between fascists and antifascists, Nazis and anti-Nazis.”
He then went on to say that the President’s state visit was “more likely to be 2018 than this year”.
Prime Minister Theresa May originally extended the invitation, which is expected to include a banquet at Buckingham Palace, when she went to the White House soon after Mr Trump’s inauguration in January.
Mr Johnson’s recent remarks echoed Mrs May’s criticism of the President.
The violence, which saw a woman killed when a car crashed into anti-fascist crowds, was sparked by protests against the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee.