Trump says Boris Johnson 'knows how to win' less than a day after his devastating Brexit defeat in Parliament

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Trump says Boris Johnson 'knows how to win' less than a day after his devastating Brexit defeat in Parliament

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Trump Johnson

Stefan Rousseau/Reuters

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets President Donald Trump for bilateral talks during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, on August 25, 2019.

  • President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Boris Johnson "knows how to win," despite the fact the British prime minister just suffered a major defeat in Parliament regarding his Brexit plans. 
  • "Boris knows how to win. Don't worry about him, he's going to be ok," Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
  • This came after Parliament voted to take control of the legislative agenda to thwart Johnson from going forward with a no-deal Brexit on October 31. 
  • Parliament also voted in favor of a bill to block a no-deal Brexit on Wednesday, representing yet another defeat for Johnson. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday characterized Boris Johnson as a winner less than 24 hours after the British prime minister suffered a major defeat in Parliament that has thrown his Brexit plans into utter chaos. 

"He's going at it ... he's in there fighting, and he knows how to win," Trump said of Johnson while speaking to reporters.

Trump added, "Boris knows how to win. Don't worry about him, he's going to be ok." 

On Tuesday, Johnson lost his first vote as prime minister as well as his majority in and control of Parliament. Johnson is now the leader of a minority government in Parliament. 

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British lawmakers on Tuesday night voted 328 to 301 to take control of the legislative agenda as part of a broader effort to block Johnson, who's been prime minister for just a few weeks, from moving forward with a no-deal Brexit on October 31.

Read more: Boris Johnson told to apologise for calling Muslim women 'letterboxes' and 'bank robbers' in powerful exchange in Parliament

Over 20 members of Johnson's own Conservative Party defected and voted against him. These 21 rebel lawmakers, who collectively served for 350 years as Conservative MPs, were subsequently expelled from the party's ranks. Winston Churchill's grandson, Nicholas Soames, was among those kicked out. 

Johnson suffered another defeat on Wednesday as lawmakers voted in favor of a bill to block a no-deal Brexit - 329 votes to 300, with yet another Conservative MP, Caroline Spelman, going against the prime minister.

 

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The bill will go through another vote, in which lawmakers can introduce amendments. As a response, Johnson might call for a general election. 

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