Trump’s second snub for May in 48 hours
DONALD Trump was accused yesterday of snubbing Theresa May for the second time in 48 hours as he charged other nations, including Britain, with ‘robbing’ the United States.
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 trade row with fellow 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 make any mention of Mrs May.
It came a day after he had 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 visit to the UK next month 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 that 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 – leading to an EU threat to impose retaliatory tariffs on £2.4 billion of US imports.
Warning EU leaders that it would be a mistake to strike back, Mr Trump claimed the US was ‘like the piggy bank that everyone is robbing’.
His antics brought the curtain down on the most fractious G7 meeting in years.
Trying to play down the rifts, Mr Trump 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 – gripping Mr Trump above the elbow before offering the President his hand, grasping it strongly and winking cheekily as Mr Trump winced.