Also in the nauseating Sunday Times interview-
VIDEOEXCLUSIVE
Donald Trump interview: send in Nigel Farage and go for no-deal Brexit, says president
‘Don’t pay Brexit bill unless EU backs down’
Tim Shipman, Political Editor, in Washington
June 2 2019, 12:01am,
The Sunday Times
Donald Trump
Brexit
Politics
UKIP
Boris Johnson
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Donald Trump on Brexit, a US trade deal and Nigel Farage
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Donald Trump today calls on Britain to send Nigel Farage to negotiate with Brussels and pursue a no-deal Brexit if the EU refuses to give Britain what it wants.
In an interview with The Sunday Times ahead of his state visit to the UK this week, the American president said the next prime minister should refuse to pay the £39bn Brexit divorce bill and “walk away” if Brussels does not bow to Britain’s demands.
Trump said that it was not too late for Britain to follow his advice and “sue” the EU to give Britain greater “ammunition” in the talks.
Farage at a Trump campaign rally in 2016: the president has launched a controversial foray into British politicsFarage at a Trump campaign rally in 2016: the president has launched a controversial foray into British politics
JONATHAN BACHMAN/GETTY IMAGES
And he vowed to “go all out” to secure a free trade deal between Britain and America within months of Brexit taking place to make up for lost trade with the EU.
The president is due to meet the Queen tomorrow, enjoy a state banquet, hold talks with Theresa May and attend D-Day commemorations in Portsmouth before leaving on Wednesday evening for further ceremonies in France.
in a dramatic break with diplomatic convention he launched a controversial foray into British politics, calling on the government to stop delaying Brexit and signalling that the “excellent” Boris Johnson should be prime minister.
In the interview, Trump also:
● Said he would have “to know” Jeremy Corbyn before authorising US intelligence to share its most sensitive secrets with a hard-left Labour government
● Told the Labour leader that he should “get along with the United States” if he wants Britain to continue to benefit from US military and intelligence support
● And warned ministers they must “be careful” not to jeopardise intelligence sharing by letting Chinese firm Huawei into Britain’s 5G mobile phone network.
Trump made clear that he believes Britain must leave the EU this year. “They gotta get it done,” he said from the White House Oval Office. “They have got to get the deal closed.”
In a move that will unnerve even those Conservative contenders who want a hard Brexit, Trump said it was “a mistake” for the Tories not to involve Farage, the Brexit Party leader, in the negotiations and that his success in the recent European elections meant he had earned his place.
“I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer,” Trump said. “He is a very smart person. They won’t bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just haven’t figured that out yet.”
The president said Britain should also withhold the £39bn payment, around $50bn, to gain leverage. “If I were them I wouldn’t pay $50bn,” he said. “That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number.”