Love-in at the White House
IT was one of the most extraordinary days in the long history of UK-US relations. When Theresa May met Donald Trump in the White House yesterday, they walked together holding hands, swapped jokes and even joshed with reporters. But in a remarkable encounter that reforged the historic special relationship, serious notes were struck. The new Republican President declared Brexit was a ‘blessing to the world’ and that Britain leaving the EU would be a ‘wonderful thing’. He also promised that there were ‘great days’ ahead for both countries. In a major policy achievement for the Prime Minister, Mr Trump gave his ‘100 per cent’ backing to Nato – only two weeks after declaring it ‘obsolete’. Their meeting in Washington was the first visit by an overseas leader to the new President and saw the notoriously abrasive Mr Trump reveal a warmer diplomatic approach, hailing the event as a ‘great honour’. Mrs May, visibly delighted at her reception, said her early invitation to the White House was an ‘indication of the strength and importance of the special relationship that exists between our two countries, a relationship based on the bonds of history, of family, kinship and common interests’.
DONALD Trump yesterday declared Brexit was a ‘blessing to the world’.
In an extraordinary day for the special relationship between the United States and the UK he was pictured holding hands with Theresa May.
The American President declared Britain leaving the EU would be a ‘wonderful thing’ and ‘great days’ for both countries now lay ahead.
He held and rubbed the Prime Minister’s hand as they walked down the steps from the White House.
Mr Trump hailed the ‘most special relationship’ as ‘one of the great forces in history for justice and for peace’. Mrs May in turn lavished praise on the new President for his ‘stunning’ election victory.
During a remarkably warm press conference last night, Mr Trump delivered a number of significant boosts to the PM, including:
Reaffirming his commitment to a lucrative post-Brexit trade deal;
Giving his ‘100 per cent’ backing to Nato only two weeks after declaring it obsolete;
Pledging the US would not use torture, lifting the threat to intelligence sharing;
Accepting an invitation for a state visit to Britain this summer.
Mrs May thanked Mr Trump as they posed for photographs by the Winston Churchill bust now returned to prominence at the White House. The prized artefact had been removed by Barack Obama and placed elsewhere. Mr Trump pointed to the bust and said: ‘This is the original. It’s a great honour to have Winston Churchill back.’
US media said the President had rolled out the red carpet for Mrs May – the first world leader he has met in Washington.
Mr Trump, who said it was a ‘great honour’ that she had chosen to visit, pledged the US would ‘strengthen our mutual ties and commerce, business and foreign affairs’.
Turning to Brexit, the President declared: ‘A free and independent Britain is a blessing to the world and our relationship has never been stronger. Both America and Britain understand that governments must be responsible to everyday working people, that governments must rep- resent their own citizens. Great days lie ahead for our two peoples and our two countries.’
He said of Britain’s decision to leave the EU: ‘I think it will go down being a fantastic thing for the UK. It will be a tremendous asset not a tremendous liability’.
‘You will have your own identity and be able to make your own trade deals without having somebody watching what you are doing.’
In comments that are likely to trigger alarm in Brussels he referred to the EU as a ‘consortium’ that made it very hard to do deals. He also said he did not expect fantastic relations with ‘many’ countries.
The meeting, which took place in the Oval Office at lunchtime in Washington, ended with Mrs May appearing to fulfil most of her aims. There had been alarm in Europe when, earlier this month, President Trump called Nato obsolete.
Yesterday, Mrs May revealed at the pair’s joint press conference that, in their private talks, he had given a ‘100 per cent’ commitment to the military alliance. The President nodded: ‘That’s true.’
In return, Mrs May said she would pressure the rest of the EU to spend 2 per cent of national wealth on defence, as is the case in Britain. Allaying any fears of a PR disaster, the President, who has made a series of blistering attacks on ‘fake news’ journalists, remained calm throughout the press conference.
The only awkward moment came when the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, questioned him over his views on Russia and torture, though he managed to reduce the room to laughter by joking: ‘There goes that relationship.’
The one area of conflict came on Russia. The President, who will speak to the Russian leader by phone today, failed to rule out lifting sanctions on Vladimir Putin. Britain wants them to stay in place and be toughened. Of Britain, Mr Trump said: ‘The special relation- ship between our two countries has been one of the great forces in history for justice and for peace and by the way, my mother was born in Scotland – Stornoway, which is serious Scotland.’
The PM said her early invitation was an ‘indication of the strength and importance of the special relationship that exists between our two countries, a relationship based on the bonds of history, of family, kinship and common interests.’
US observers said Mr Trump gave Mrs May a welcome that US presidents rarely give to visiting foreign leaders. In a break with protocol, he greeted her at the imposing portico entrance of the West Wing. Mr Trump presented Mrs May with an 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly fea- turing Abraham Lincoln. The President’s wife, Melania, gave Mrs May’s husband Philip silver cufflinks.
The PM will today land in Turkey in the hope of making progress on a free trade deal.
Mr Trump’s stand-off with Mexico over who will pay for a wall between the two countries showed signs of thawing last night.
The US President said during his press conference with Theresa May he had enjoyed a ‘very, very friendly’ hour-long telephone call with Mexican leader Enrique Pena Nieto.
It came a day after Mr Pena Nieto scrapped a meeting in Washington next week over Mr Trump’s instance that Mexico foot the multibillion pound bill for a 2,000-mile wall.
Comment – Page 16