'He's going to do a great job': Trump says Boris Johnson will 'straighten' out Brexit after 'poor job' done by May

Reuters

Boris Johnson and Donald Trump

• Donald Trump backs Boris Johnson to become Britain's next prime minister and fix Brexit.
• The president spoke to the former UK Foreign Secretary on Thursday.
• "He's a different kind of a guy, but people say that I'm a different kind of a guy too," Trump said.
• The president says Johnson will "straighten" out Brexit after the "poor job" done by Theresa MAy.
• Relations between London and Washington worsened last week following the row over leaked comments by the UK's ambassador to the US.
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

Donald Trump has backed Boris Johnson to become Britain's next prime minister and "straighten" out Brexit after the "poor job" done by Theresa May.

The president told reporters on Friday that he had spoken to the former foreign secretary on Thursday, and liked what he heard.

"I like Boris Johnson, I always have, he told reporters in Washington.

"I think we'll have a very good relationship."

Trump, who has previously accused prime minister May of making a "mess" of Britain's exit from the European Union, said he believed Johnson would improve on the "poor job" done by May.

"I think Boris will straighten it out," Trump said.

Trump said he saw similarities between Johnson and himself.

"He's a different kind of a guy, but people say that I'm a different kind of a guy too."

Trump's comments came after relations between London and Washington deteriorated following the leak of diplomatic cables from the UK's ambassador to the US which referred to Trump's administration as "inept" and "uniquely dysfunctional."

Read more: Boris Johnson called gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' and black people 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles'

Read more: Boris Johnson's plans for a Brexit trade deal with Trump are 'in breach of European law,' trade secretary warns

Following the leak Trump labelled the ambassador Kim Darroch "stupid" and "wacky" and insists the White House would no longer work with him.

Darroch subsequently resigned with friends saying that Johnson's redial to publicly back him in his row with Trump as a factor in his resignation.

Johnson was accused by Conservative colleagues of throwing Darroch "under a bus" while opponents accused him of being a Trump "patsy."

Trump's comments about Ilhan Omar and her fellow Democratic congresswomen also drew condemnation in the UK, with a spokesperson for Theresa May describing them as "unacceptable."

Dozens of British politicians signed a letter of solidarity with the four representatives.

Read more: Theresa May slams Trump's 'completely unacceptable' tweets telling congresswomen to 'go back' to 'broken and crime infested' countries

Read more: 'You embody the best of America': UK politicians stand in solidarity with Ilhan Omar, accusing Trump of 'unashamed racism'

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