Trump London protests - as it happened: President denies taped criticism of May as '100,000' protest US leader in London
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has insisted the ‘special relationship’ between Britain and the United States is “the highest level of special” as he addressed reporters alongside prime minister Theresa May at Chequers.
The president described Brexit as an “incredible opportunity” and said whatever Britain does after leaving the European Union was “OK with me” – hours after telling The Sun newspaper that Ms May’s plan may “kill” any trade deal between the UK and the US.
Responding to questions about the interview, Mr Trump described the report as “fake news,” while Ms May added the pair had discussed plans for an “ambitious” trade agreement.
Following his Chequers meeting, Mr Trump headed to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen. But the president quickly defied royal protocol by walking ahead of the monarch during an inspection of the Coldstream guards.
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Despite the humiliating interview, in which Mr Trump said the prime minister “didn’t listen” to his advice on Brexit, Ms May praised the American leader for “making tough calls and saying things that others would rather not say”.
“From the outset, President Trump has been clear about how he sees the challenges we face and on many we agree,” she added.
The second day of the American leader’s visit to the UK was marked by mass protests across Britain, with a huge blimp depicting him as a baby wearing a nappy flown by demonstrators in London.
The six-metre inflatable caricature took to the skies in Westminster as tens of thousands of demonstrators prepare to march through London’s streets.
Protests were also planned to take place outside Chequers and in Scotland, where the president leader will arrive on Friday evening after having tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle.
Mr Trump was heavily critical of the proposed EU deal thrashed out by Ms May her cabinet, warning it would “probably kill” any future UK-US trade agreement.
The US leader said he would have done the negotiations “much differently” and claimed the prime minister had not listened to his advice.
Mr Trump’s comments were condemned by a number of MPs, including the universities minister Sam Gyimah, who tweeted: “Where are your manners, Mr President?”
The next stop on Donald Trump's itinerary is a meeting with the Queen at Windsor Castle.
There will be keen interest in how the president - known for his awkward and often aggressive greeting of world leaders - will behave around the long-reigning monarch.
The Independent's Sean O'Grady has imagined what might unfold...
Maya Oppenheim has been speaking to anti-Trump demonstrators in central London.
Diana James, 71, had never been to a protest before but was taking part because "Trump is so dangerous".
She added: “He is a cruel bully. There are so many things that are bad. We are now in a position where we could destroy the planet.
"He has got to accept global warming and stop drilling in the Antarctica. It is the greed that is killing the planet."
Lara Fontana, a Women's March protester, said Trump was "chipping away at the rights women have - abortion, the recent thing about breastfeeding."
She added: "The family separation policy was completely unacceptable. Children need to be kept with their parents - especially their mothers. It speaks to everything he is doing. He is taking advantage of his power and is breaking boundaries in the most unprofessional of ways".
The Independent's Angela Christofilou has been sharing some more pictures of the protests in London:
The Metropolitan police are warning there are so many protesters they may have to temporarily have to halt the march.
The Independent's Maya Oppenheim is speaking to protesters in central London.
Louise Wilkstrom, 33, who had a 20 month child with her, said: “I think it’s just really important to show the UK, the US, and the rest of the world we are against Trump’s racism, misogyny, and homophobia.”
“I was pregnant during the Brexit referendum and I’m from Sweden so that was a blow. A month after he was born Donald Trump was elected and I thought ‘what is the world coming to? What world is he growing up in’. But you have to have some faith in the future and think people can change the future together.”
As her son gently threw an orange balloon baring Donald Trump’s face on it with a line across it, she laughed, saying: “In the meantime there are balloons”.
Paul Robert, 45, who works in customer services, told The Independent he was "struggling to use words you can print" when asked why he had decided to come down to the protest.
"I just think he is a complete idiot," he said of the US president. "He does not understand how the world works. He does not understand what people think. He is aggressive. He is a narcissist. He is a misogynist. I think the world would be better off if he stuck to business not politics. He likes to get angry and get people that are already angry angrier. He is a spark to kindling and wants anything that gets him attention".
BREAKING: Marine One has left the US Ambassador's residence carrying Donald Trump. The US president is on his way to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen.
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