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Donald Trump prepared to apologise for retweeting Britain First Trump prepared to apologise for UK far-right video retweets
(35 minutes later)
US president tells Good Morning Britain on ITV he did not know about far-right group and only wanted to oppose Islamist terrorism US president tells ITV he did not know of Britain First and only wanted to oppose Islamic terror
Graham Ruddick, Graham Ruddick,
Peter Walker and agenciesPeter Walker and agencies
Fri 26 Jan 2018 08.18 GMTFri 26 Jan 2018 08.18 GMT
First published on Fri 26 Jan 2018 07.03 GMTFirst published on Fri 26 Jan 2018 07.03 GMT
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Donald Trump has said he is prepared to apologise for retweeting inflammatory videos by the far-right Britain First group. Donald Trump has said he is prepared to apologise for retweeting inflammatory videos by the far-right group Britain First.
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Trump said he had known nothing about Britain First when he shared the posts by the group’s deputy leader, Jayda Fransen.In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Trump said he had known nothing about Britain First when he shared the posts by the group’s deputy leader, Jayda Fransen.
“If you are telling me they’re horrible people, horrible, racist people, I would certainly apologise if you’d like me to do that,” he told the presenter Piers Morgan.“If you are telling me they’re horrible people, horrible, racist people, I would certainly apologise if you’d like me to do that,” he told the presenter Piers Morgan.
He said he made the posts because of his opposition to Islamist terrorism. He said he retweeted the posts because of his opposition to Islamic terrorism.
“I know nothing about them and I know nothing about them today other than I read a little bit,” he said. “Perhaps it was a big story in Britain, perhaps it was a big story in the UK, but in the United States it wasn’t a big story.“I know nothing about them and I know nothing about them today other than I read a little bit,” he said. “Perhaps it was a big story in Britain, perhaps it was a big story in the UK, but in the United States it wasn’t a big story.
“They had a couple of depictions of radical Islamic terror. It was done because I am a big believer in fighting radical Islamic terror. This was a depiction of radical Islamic terror.”“They had a couple of depictions of radical Islamic terror. It was done because I am a big believer in fighting radical Islamic terror. This was a depiction of radical Islamic terror.”
Morgan interviewed Trump on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump is scheduled to make an address on Friday. Morgan interviewed Trump on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the US president is scheduled to speak on Friday.
The full interview will air on Sunday at 10pm on ITV. Clips were shown on Friday’s edition of Good Morning Britain. In the interview Trump said he was a tremendous supporter of the UK and that Theresa May was doing a “very good job”.The full interview will air on Sunday at 10pm on ITV. Clips were shown on Friday’s edition of Good Morning Britain. In the interview Trump said he was a tremendous supporter of the UK and that Theresa May was doing a “very good job”.
Trump’s comments followed a 15-minute meeting with May in Davos, when the president promised the US would always “be there” for Britain, assured May “we love your country” and said they “like each other a lot”. His comments followed a 15-minute meeting with the prime minister in Davos, at which Trump promised the US would always “be there” for Britain, assured May “we love your country” and said they “like each other a lot”.
May invited Trump to a state visit within days of him being sworn in as president, but Downing Street had appeared to want to postpone the invitation after Trump responded angrily to May’s criticism of him over the Britain First videos. May invited Trump for a state visit within days of his being sworn in as president, but Downing Street had appeared to want to postpone the invitation after Trump responded angrily to May’s criticism of him over the Britain First videos.
Earlier this month, Trump called off a planned trip to London in February to open the new US embassy. Trump claimed on Twitter he had cancelled the visit because of his displeasure at Barack Obama for selling the old embassy in Grosvenor Square for “peanuts” and building a replacement “in an off location” in Nine Elms, south London. “Bad deal,” he tweeted. The planned move began when George W Bush was president. Earlier this month, Trump called off a planned trip to London in February to open the new US embassy. He claimed he had cancelled the visit because of his displeasure at Barack Obama for selling the old embassy in Grosvenor Square for “peanuts” and building a replacement “in an off location” in Nine Elms, south London. “Bad deal,” he tweeted. The planned move began when George W Bush was president.
At Davos, Trump put May at the top of the list for his bilateral talks. He rejected the idea that relations between Washington and London had soured. Trump, having put May at the top of the list for his bilateral talks in Davos, rejected the idea that relations between Washington and London had soured.
Sitting next to the prime minister, Trump said reports of tension in the US-UK relationship were “a false rumour”. “We’re on the same wavelength in, I think, every respect,” he said. It is understood May did not raise the issue of Trump’s Britain First retweets, which she condemned at the time. Sitting next to the prime minister, Trump said reports of tension in the US-UK relationship were “a false rumour”.
“We’re on the same wavelength in, I think, every respect,” he said. It is understood May did not raise the issue of Trump’s Britain First retweets.
After the meeting, Trump tweeted that the talks had been “great”.After the meeting, Trump tweeted that the talks had been “great”.
May has taken the gamble of inviting Trump to make his controversial visit to Britain later this year. A senior UK government source said the visit was expected to take place in the second half of this year, after the pair meet again at the Nato summit in Brussels in July. A senior UK government source has said Trump is expected to visit the UK in the second half of this year, after the pair had met again at the Nato summit in Brussels in July.
A Downing Street source said both the UK and US were planning a working visit. This pushes the prospect of Trump’s state visit further into the future, and raises the possibility it might never happen. A Downing Street source said both the UK and US were planning a working visit. This pushes the prospect of a state visit further into the future, and raises the possibility it might never happen.
Either way, the detailed planning that must now get under way will include calculating the scale of the security operation. There has been speculation that Trump’s visit will lead to the biggest protests since the anti-Iraq war demonstration in 2003.Either way, the detailed planning that must now get under way will include calculating the scale of the security operation. There has been speculation that Trump’s visit will lead to the biggest protests since the anti-Iraq war demonstration in 2003.
Morgan, the former editor of the Daily Mirror and News of the World, got to know Trump in 2008 when he won Celebrity Apprentice in the US, which was fronted by the billionaire. Morgan’s Twitter account is one of just 45 that the president follows.Morgan, the former editor of the Daily Mirror and News of the World, got to know Trump in 2008 when he won Celebrity Apprentice in the US, which was fronted by the billionaire. Morgan’s Twitter account is one of just 45 that the president follows.
Morgan interviewed Trump for Good Morning Britain in May 2016 during the US election campaign and has previously said he has interviewed him more than 30 times over the years through his various on-screen roles. In the 2016 interview Trump accused Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, of being “rude” and “ignorant”. Morgan interviewed Trump for Good Morning Britain in May 2016 during the US election campaign and has previously said he has interviewed him more than 30 times over the years through his various on-screen roles. In the 2016 interview Trump accused Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, of being rude and ignorant. The pair have clashed online over terrorism in the capital.
Morgan has been a vocal supporter of Trump on social media and through his column for Mail Online.Morgan has been a vocal supporter of Trump on social media and through his column for Mail Online.
Press Association contributed to this reportPress Association contributed to this report
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
The far rightThe far right
Theresa MayTheresa May
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