Trump scrambles to repair bruised relations with May in press conference spectacle

The president said that he would rather have the prime minister as his friend than his enemy

Donald Trump has scrambled to repair bruised relations with Theresa May, using an extraordinary press conference to accuse the British media of “fake news” and hail US-UK links as “the highest level of special”.

The president tried to undo damage caused by an interview in which he questioned Ms May’s Brexit plans, suggesting they might torpedo a US trade deal, and exalted her political rival Boris Johnson.

But standing next to the prime minister at the awkward event, he ostentatiously lavished praise on her as “smart”, “tough”, “capable” and “incredible”, finally adding: “I would much rather have her as my friend than my enemy, that I can tell you.”

It came on a day when the pair had watched a joint exercise of US and UK special forces and the president met the Queen at Windsor Castle, as part of an official visit.

The press conference took place in the grounds of Ms May’s Chequers country retreat, a place Mr Trump said he had “read so much about growing up in history class”.

After they strolled to the twin podiums chatting and at one point holding hands, questions turned to Mr Trump’s comments made to The Sun, that Ms May’s Brexit plans were not what people voted for and that he had told her to do it differently.

Answering, he said: “I didn’t criticise the prime minister, I have a lot of respect for the prime minister and unfortunately there was a story that was done, which was generally fine, but it didn’t put in what I said about the prime minister and I said tremendous things.

“Fortunately, we tend to record stories now, so we have it for your enjoyment, if you’d like it, but we record when we deal with reporters – it’s called fake news.”

The president said he had read reports that Ms May’s EU withdrawal plan might impede a US trade deal – the securing of which has come to signify whether Brexit is a success.

But he said that after speaking with the prime minister’s representatives, a deal “will absolutely be possible”.

The remark will be a relief for Downing Street, which earlier in the day argued that the president’s Sun interview was given before Mr Trump had a chance to read Ms May’s Brexit white paper, and that the PM had now brought him “up to speed”.

Asked about whether he had advised her to do something different in Brexit talks, Mr Trump said: “I did give her a suggestion. I wouldn’t say advice, and I think she found it maybe too brutal … but I did give her a certain amount of … I gave her a suggestion, not advice.”

He said that if the UK fails to “make the right deal”, Ms May could yet end up doing what he had suggested, though he denied he had told her to walk away from Brexit talks – something which would have boosted Tory rebels causing difficulty for Ms May.

Asked to set out what he had said instead, he explained that she could do “other things”, before going on to praise Ms May as a tough negotiator.

He added: “I can tell you there are a lot of people that are looking up now saying ‘gee whizz’, you know, she left a lot of people in her wake, she’s a very smart, very tough, very capable person and I would much rather have her as my friend than my enemy, that I can tell you.”

While he admitted that he had been asked whether Mr Johnson would make a good prime minister, and he said he thought he would, he said Ms May was doing “a terrific job, and that Brexit is a very tough situation”.

Using the frugal vocabulary that characterises his public speaking, Mr Trump said his previous night’s dinner at Blenheim Palace, his visit to a Winston Churchill exhibition and the allies victory in the Second World War were all “special”.

Then summing up his relations with the UK more broadly, he said: “I would say I give our relationship, in terms of grade, the highest level of special.

“So we start off with special, I would give our relationship with the UK – and now especially after this two days with your prime minister – I would say the highest level of special.

“Am I allowed to go higher than that, I’m not sure. But it’s the highest level of special. They are very special people, it’s a very special country.”

The president and first lady Melania Trump, was later welcomed by the Queen in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle.

Mr Trump did not bow as he shook hands briefly with the Queen, and Ms Trump did not curtsy, after which the monarch shared a few words with them and indicated they should stand either side of her for the Coldstream Guards band rendition of the American national anthem.