Trump, May stress ‘ special relationship’
President welcomes British prime minister in first visit by foreign leader
President Trump put the WASHINGTON “special relationship” with the United Kingdom on full display Friday, hosting Prime Minister Theresa May for cordial meetings at the White House while highlighting a partnership built from their converging political fortunes.
May’s visit began something of a foreign policy weekend for Trump, as he pivots from issues of trade and immigration in North America to similar issues in Europe and the Middle East. Trump is lining up Saturday calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The arrival of the British prime minister as the first foreign leader to visit the new president was a clear signal of the pre- eminence of the alliance.
“The special relationship between our two countries has been one of the greatest forces in history for justice and peace — and, by the way, my mother was born in Scotland,” Trump told reporters after the hour- long meeting in the Oval Office.
That press conference— Trump’s first as president — lasted 18minutes, setting a get- down- to- business tone from the beginning. Trump gave short answers to questions on Russia and Mexico and deflected a multi- part question on abortion. And May seemed to take her cues from Trump, careful not to upstage the president in his new home.
Trump declined to say whether he supports a reduction in sanctions against Russia in advance of his scheduled call with Putin on Saturday, saying he hoped to “have a great relationship with all countries, ideally.” May went further, saying Russia needed to live up to its commitments in a 2014 ceasefire agreement.
Trump also said he had a “very, very friendly” hour- long call with Mexican President Enrique Peña- Nieto on Friday, just a day after they canceled a planned meeting next week over tensions arising from Trump’s executive order to commence building a wall on the Mexican border.
“They out- negotiated us and beat us to a pulp,” Trump said. “The United States cannot continue to lose vast amounts of business, vast amounts of companies and millions and millions of people losing their jobs. That won’t happen with me.”
But the day seemed mostly focused on the U. K. relationship and all its trappings. Trump met the prime minister’s car at the West Wing, performing a duty usually reserved for the chief of protocol. May gave Trump a basket full of British delicacies and a quaich, a cup traditionally given by Scottish clan chiefs as a sign of hospitality.
The prime minister added that she had extended an invitation from Queen Elizabeth for Trump to make a state visit to London this year, “and I’m delighted to say he has accepted.”
The Trump- May meeting focused on trade, the British withdrawal from the European Union, the future of the NATO military alliance and Russia. Trump spoke in generalities; May was more specific, lauding U.S.- U. K. cooperation on trade, defense and terrorism.
“I can tell you that I think we’re going to get along very well,” President Trump said of British Prime Minister Theresa May.
“One of the things we have in common is we want to put the interests of ordinary working people on center stage. I think we both share that.” British Prime Minister Theresa May