Donald Trump hits back at Theresa May over Britain First tweets
3 min read
Donald Trump has fired back at Theresa May after Downing St criticised the US president for re-tweeting anti-Muslim videos from far-right group Britain First.
Yesterday the Prime Minister's spokesman said Mr Trump had been "wrong" to publicise tweets from an which spreads "hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions".
Jeremy Corbyn also weighed in, calling Britain First "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society".
It was Mrs May's first direct criticism of President Trump's actions - and casts further doubt on whether his planned state visit to the UK will ever go ahead.
Mr Trump refused to take the criticism lying down, tweeting directly at Mrs May that she should leave him alone and concentrate on the UK's own approach to "Radical Islamic Terrorism".
His initial retweets drew criticism from Cabinet ministers Boris Johnson, Justine Greening and Sajid Javid.
Ms Greening said: "I think many people in Britain, as I do, disagree with the tweets that he has done over the last 24 hours."
She added the US and UK should not allow Mr Trump's tweets to "undermine" the special relationship between the countries.
STATE VISIT?
Yesterday Tracy Brabin, who succeeded murdered Jo Cox as the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, called for the state visit to the UK to be cancelled.
She told Radio 5Live: "These retweets are incredibly troubling. He has shown such lacking leadership over the months that he has been the president of the United States, but this just beggars belief.
"Justifying this organisation that, as Brendan [Cox – husband of murdered MP Jo Cox] says, this hatred has consequences and we know more than any in Batley and Spen what those consequences are.
"And absolutely the Government must get involved in this. We are not holding this man’s hand, we are challenging him and holding him to account."
'MANNA FROM HEAVEN'
Brexit minister Lord Callanan said the president had given Britain First a huge boost with his actions.
"Clearly he needs to be careful what he tweets to 43 million followers. But this is manna from heaven for them," he said.
"We are doing exactly what they want now, which is publicising them and giving coverage to their awful views and Trump has helped them in that."
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