Trump stirs the pot with praise for ‘friend’ Boris

DONALD Trump deepened Theresa May’s Brexit misery yesterday by claiming the UK was in turmoil and by backing Boris Johnson.

He declined to offer a personal endorsement of the Prime Minister, saying it was ‘up to the people’ whether she remained in office.

The diplomatic hand grenade, which came just 24 hours before Mr Trump’s first visit to Britain as US President, will heighten Cabinet jitters.

Speaking before leaving for today’s Nato summit in Brussels, Mr Trump repeated his warning that European countries could not expect Washington to continue subsidising their defence.

His trip to Europe will finish with a summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday. Asked about the visit he joked with reporters that his meeting with the Russian President might be the easiest part of the trip.

Speaking as he boarded Marine One, Mr Trump said: ‘It’s going to be an interesting time in the UK and an interesting time at Nato. We will work it out and all countries will be happy. So I have Nato, I have the UK – that’s a situation with turmoil. And I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of all.’

The President insisted he had a very good relationship with Mrs May.

But asked whether she should stay in post, he replied: ‘It’s up to the people.’

Mr Trump also heaped praise on Mr Johnson, describing him as a friend and saying he hoped to meet him during his stay, despite the former foreign secretary’s devastating attack on Mrs May’s Brexit policy this week. He said: ‘Boris Johnson is a friend of mine. He’s been very, very supportive and very nice to me. Maybe I’ll speak to him when I get over there.’

Mr Johnson made no comment yesterday. He is lying low, apparently weighing up his next move following his dramatic resignation on Monday.

Some Eurosceptic MPs are privately urging him to challenge Mrs May for the leadership. Mr Johnson declined to say whether the PM has his support in his resignation letter.

Aides were tight-lipped about his intentions last night and some friends have warned him he does not have the numbers to topple the PM.

Mrs May struggled to hide her irritation when asked about Mr Trump’s comments yesterday, but insisted she was looking forward to the US President’s visit.

Speaking at a press conference in London before heading to the Nato summit tomorrow, Mrs May said: ‘I am looking forward to seeing President Trump not only at the Nato summit in the next couple of days but also when he comes to the UK.

‘There is much for us to discuss. We will be talking positively about how we can continue to work together in our special relationship for the good of people living in the UK and the United States and, actually, for the wider good.’

Downing Street insisted they were relaxed about the intervention, pointing out that Mr Trump had stressed his very good relations with Mrs May. A spokesman said the president was ‘ being humorous’ with his remark about the Putin meeting.

But the jibes will fuel concerns that the visit will be a diplomatic minefield. Mr Trump was an outspoken supporter of Brexit and his ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson last week urged Britain to ‘ hold its nerve’ and cut free from the EU.

Relations between the two leaders have cooled dramatically since last year’s love-in at the White House when Mrs May invited the new US President for a full state visit.

In a Channel 4 documentary this week a senior official at the US embassy in London talks about

‘He has been very, very supportive’

the strained relationship. Matt Goshko, the deputy head of public affairs, said: ‘It is no secret that there is some concern about the relationship.’