1 December 2017 01:03 pm
Theresa May hit back at Donald Trump by insisting she is tackling terrorism today as an extraordinary spat threatened to blow the Special Relationship apart. Downing Street dismissed a jibe from the US president as the two leaders crossed swords over his retweets of anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right group.
Mrs May has branded Mr Trump’s decision to share the material ‘wrong’, but he lashed out at her last night demanding she focus on ‘Islamic terrorism taking place in the UK’.
Mr Trump’s tweets drew cold fury from across the political spectrum in the UK, with fresh calls for his State Visit invite - extended by Mrs May on behalf of the Queen in January - to be withdrawn.Lib Dem leader Vince Cable branded Mr Trump an ‘evil racist’, while shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said he was trying to ‘humiliate and belittle’ the PM.
Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the comments will be seen as a ‘betrayal’ of the special relationship and called for his visit to be cancelled.
Cabinet ministers joined the condemnation with Communities Secretary Sajid Javid saying the president had endorsed a ‘vile, hate-filled racist organisation’. Home Secretary Amber Rudd gave a clear hint that the state visit will not happen soon, saying ‘arrangements have yet to be made’, and suggested it was time Mr Trump gave up Twitter.
- DAILY MAIL, 30th NOVEMBER, 2017