Donald Trump says Theresa May's Brexit plan will 'kill' a US-UK trade deal in explosive interview
Donald Trump said that Theresa May's proposed Brexit plan will "probably kill" off any chance of a UK-US trade deal in an bombshell interview with The Sun published on Thursday.
Trump's remarks, made as he visits Britain for the first time as US President, are an explosive intervention into British politics that seem likely to cause political chaos and imperil the British Prime Minister as she attempts to negotiate Britain's exit from the European Union.
May's proposal was finalised on Friday, and has already sparked a slew of high-profile political resignations from her Cabinet, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis, over concerns the plans would leave the UK too closely linked to the EU.
Speaking to The Sun, Trump said: "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."
He added: "If they do that, then their trade deal with the US will probably not be made."
Trump personally criticised May's handling of Brexit, saying her soft Brexit approach went "the opposite way" to what he had recommended, and it was "very unfortunate."
Trump attended a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace with May on Thursday evening, where ITV reports May planned to pitch the president on a free trade agreement between the UK and the US after Brexit. But Trump's interview with The Sun now leaves that prospect in doubt - and puts May in a vulnerable position.
Here's the front page of The Sun for Friday:
This story is developing...