Donald Trump says Theresa May has wrecked Brexit, warns US-UK trade deal may be dead

As Theresa May sat down to dine with Donald Trump in London, a British newspaper was hitting the streets with an extraordinary interview.

Donald Trump has warned British prime minister Theresa May that she may have killed off any chance of a United States trade deal, after accusing her of ignoring his advice and “killing off Brexit’’.

In an extraordinary interview with the mass tabloid newspaper The Sun, Mr Trump has raised significant and serious doubts about the prospective trade deal, which was to be one of the main morale boosting post-Brexit trade deals.

As the newspaper’s exclusive interview was hitting the streets, Mrs May was hosting Mr Trump at Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s ancestral home and the principal residence of the Duke of Marlborough.

Mrs May was to use the dinner as a prime chance to convince Mr Trump to commit to a US trade deal.

Liam Fox, the secretary of state for international trade tweeted “terrific to hear Donald Trump talk so positively about UK and US trade tonight at Blenheim Palace #specialrelationship’’.

But in the newspaper Mr Trump says Mrs May’s attempts to maintain close ties with the European Union would make a lucrative US trade deal very unlikely. Mr Trump has criticised Mrs May’s Chequers plan, which sticks to a common rulebook with Brussels on agricultural produce and goods to keep the customs borders open to the European Union.

Mr Trump told The Sun: “If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the UK, so it will probably kill the deal.

“If they do that, then their trade deal with the US will probably not be made.”

He said Mrs May’s plan will definitely affect trade with the United States, “unfortunately in a negative way”.

As Donald Trump has dinner with British PM Theresa May at Blenheim Palace, this is the front page of The Sun exclusive hitting the streets. Says the US-UK trade deal may be off because May has wrecked Brexit. pic.twitter.com/b2sAReztk1

— Jacquelin Magnay (@jacquelinmagnay) July 12, 2018

Mr Trump has had a very public spat with the most powerful EU country, Germany, insisting it had not treated the United States fairly on trade, as well as being totally controlled by Russia because of its reliance on Russian gas and approving the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

“We have enough difficulty with the European Union,’’ Mr Trump told the paper.

“We are cracking down right now on the European Union because they have not treated the United States fairly on trading.

“No, if they do that I would say that that would probably end a major trade relationship with the United States.”

From left, Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and her husband Philip May, watch the arrival ceremony at Blenheim Palace.

The upheaval that Mr Trump created at the two day North Atlantic Treaty Organisation continued across the Channel after arriving at London’s Stansted airport.

He said European leaders were destroying the European culture and identity by allowing in millions of migrants and he tore into one of his arch critics, the Labour London Mayor, Sadiq Khan for not standing up to terrorists.

Mr Khan has facilitated one of the high profile protest stunts, the flying of Baby Trump in London late tonight Australian time.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Mr Trump said Mr Khan was responsible for the terror attacks on the British capital, arguing he had “done a very bad job on terrorism” by allowing so many migrants to come to the city.

“I look at cities in Europe, and I can be specific if you’d like. You have a mayor who has done a terrible job in London. He has done a terrible job,’’ Mr Trump said.

“I think he has done a bad job on crime, if you look, all of the horrible things going on there, with all of the crime that is being brought in.”

Mr Trump said Mr Khan had shown a lack of respect to America by attacking him personally.

“I think he has not been hospitable to a government that is very important. Now he might not like the current President, but I represent the United States,’’ the President said.

Mr Trump said the former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who resigned on Monday over the Brexit plan “would make a great Prime Minister’’.

“I have a lot of respect for Boris. He obviously likes me, and says very good things about me,’’ Mr Trump said.

“I was very saddened to see he was leaving government and I hope he goes back in at some point. I think he is a great representative for your country.”

Asked if the ex-minister could be in No 10 one day, he answered: “Well I am not pitting one against the other. I am just saying I think he would be a great Prime Minister. I think he’s got what it takes.”

Boris Johnson posed for a picture as he signed his resignation letter this week.

Mr Trump agreed with comments made by Mr Johnson that the president would go in blood hard in a Brexit negotiation.

“I would have done it much differently,’’ he said, insisting he would have walked away from the negotiating table because what is going on is too long.

“I actually told Theresa May how to do it but she didn’t agree, she didn’t listen to me.

“She wanted to go a different route. I would actually say that she probably went the opposite way. And that is fine.

“She should negotiate the best way she knows how. But it is too bad what is going on.”