Donald Trump: I would be ‘tougher’ in Brexit talks than PM Theresa May

LONDON: Donald Trump has criticised the way UK PM Theresa May is negotiating Brexit, saying he would take a “tougher” line with the European Union in the talks. Only three days after putting on a show of unity with May at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump risked reopening the wounds in the so-called “special relationship” between UK and America.

In an interview with ITV’s Piers Morgan, he said he would have taken “a different attitude” to the Brexit negotiations with the EU.

“Would it be the way I’d negotiate? No, I wouldn’t negotiate it the way it’s negotiated,” Trump said in an interview to be broadcast in full later on Sunday. “I would have said that the EU is not cracked up to what it’s supposed to be and I would have taken a tougher stand in getting out.”


Trump’s comments will disappoint May’s office after the two leaders tried to patch up their differences during a mini-summit in the Swiss resort on Thursday. Such an outspoken critique of May’s Brexit policy from the US president also threatens to weaken May further at home.