…Says it’s ‘very different place’ where he has investments
President Donald Trump has hinted that the United Kingdom (UK) may avoid the sort of swingeing tariffs that he has threatened to impose on the European Union ( EU).
When it was put to him that he said yesterday the EU was constructed to “screw” the US on trade, and when he was asked what Keir Starmer could say to him that would ensure that Britain did not face tariffs, Trump at first claimed not to have said that “bad word.”
He then launched into a long attack on the EU over trade policy, claiming that people thought it was “politically correct” to say the US’s trade relationship with the EU was good even thought it wasn’t.
Then, referring to the UK, he went on:
I can say that, we’re here for a different reason – we’re talking about a very different place. This is some place that I have investments there. I own Turnberry, I own Aberdeen, and I own a great place called Doonbeg in Ireland. So, I have a great warm spot for your country.
At this point Keir Starmer interrupted, saying:
And our trade, obviously, is fair and balanced and, in fact, you’ve got a bit of surplus. So, we’re in a different position there.
And obviously we contributed hugely in relation to Ukraine.
Trump then added: “It’s going to work out.”
Asked if he was saying that meant there would not be any sanctions on the UK, he replied:
Well, I have to take a look. We’re going to have a good discussion today, and we have some very talented people on the other side, and we have some people that probably aren’t as talented to them, but they’re pretty good. We’re going to have a good discussion, and we’ll be talking about it.
Trump claims UK and US will do trade deal ‘rather quickly’
When asked: Will there be a trade deal with the UK?
Trump says:
We’ve had great discussions on trade and I think we’re going to have a deal done rather quickly. As quickly as it can be done. We’re going to have something, I think, rather quickly.
Trump praises Starmer as ‘very tough negotiator’
Trump started by saying Starmer is PM of a very special place. He goes on:
You’re a very tough negotiator. However, I’m not sure I like that, but that’s OK.
Starmer will be pleased. In Trumpworld, to be a “very tough negotiator” is high praise indeed.
Donald Trump repeated his false claim that European aid to Ukraine will all be repaid.
The facts: French president Emmanuel Macron fact-checked Trump’s claim during their meeting at the White House earlier this week.
“No, in fact, to be frank, we paid,” Macron said on Monday, explaining that his country had provided aid in the form of grants, loans and loan guarantees. “We provided real money, to be clear.”
Keir Starmer also tried to correct the US president’s claim earlier today.
“Quite a bit of ours was gifted,” Starmer told Trump in the Oval Office. “There were some loans, but mainly it was gifted actually.”
