Donald Trump says Brexit has gone 'badly' because Theresa May ignored his advice

LONDON - Donald Trump has said he is "surprised at how badly" Brexit has gone and claimed Theresa May ignored his advice on how to handle negotiations better.

In a damaging intervention for the prime minister, the US president claimed said that the issue was "tearing the country apart."

"I'm surprised at how badly it's all gone from the standpoint of the negotiations," Trump told reporters in Washington at a bilateral meeting with Irish premier Leo Varadkar.

"I gave the prime minister my ideas on negotiating… I think it could have been negotiated in a different matter," he added.

This is a developing story...

Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain's departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider's political reporters. Join here.