Image 01 Image 03

Trump to May on Brexit: Whatever You Do ‘is OK With Us. Just Make Sure We Can Trade Together.’

Trump to May on Brexit: Whatever You Do ‘is OK With Us. Just Make Sure We Can Trade Together.’

“I didn’t criticize the prime minister.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBuGc9UycoA

The Sun dropped an interview with President Donald Trump on Thursday night as he met with Prime Minister Theresa May for a black-tie dinner. In it, he criticized May’s Brexit strategy, claimed she did not listen to him, and that a trade deal between the two countries could be in danger.

May and Trump held a press conference Friday morning. Trump told May that whatever she wants to do with her Brexit plan is okay with America, but just make it possible for the UK to engage in trade with the United States.

Trump also called The Sun interview ‘fake news’ because they left out portions of his comments, all of which the White House has recorded.

The Sun Interview

May’s Brexit plan includes the UK sticking “to a common rulebook with Brussels on goods and agricultural produce in a bid to keep custom borders open with the EU.”

Trump said if this happens, “then their trade deal with the US will probably not be made.” That trade deal is something those who supported the Leave campaign wanted:

But the President said Mrs May’s plan “will definitely affect trade with the United States, unfortunately in a negative way”.

He explained: “We have enough difficulty with the European Union.

“We are cracking down right now on the European Union because they have not treated the United States fairly on trading.

“No, if they do that I would say that that would probably end a major trade relationship with the United States.”

Trump also told The Sun that the deal she struck is not the same that appeared in the referendum that the people voted for in April 2016.

After the article came out, May released this statement:

“We have come to an agreement at the proposal we’re putting to the European Union which absolutely delivers on the Brexit people voted for.

They voted for us to take back control of our money, our law and our borders and that’s exactly what we will do.”

Yeah…I don’t think so. She lost her Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who Trump thinks would make a great prime minister.

The London Times published an article this morning about how Brexiteers are not happy with the concessions in the Brexit bill:

In what Brexiteers argue is a breach of red lines, the white paper said that disputes over trade should be “referred to the European Court of Justice for interpretation” in certain circumstances, and that businesses that provide services would be able to “move their talented people” across the Channel.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, told the Commons: “I voted to leave, not to half-leave.” Steve Baker, who quit as a Brexit minister on Monday, was offering on Twitter to sign copies of the white paper “over which I resigned”.

Conservative MPs who support a hard Brexit told the government that they would vote against the third reading of the bill on Monday, presenting a huge problem for the prime minister. Jacob Rees-Mogg and the European Research Group of hard Brexiteers had indicated that they would launch only a symbolic rebellion against Mrs May on Monday. Yesterday it emerged that they plan to go further.

May, Trump Talks

Trump and May held a short press conference before the two leaders headed off for a private conversation. Trump described his relationship with May as “very, very strong.”

The two leaders held another joint conference afterwards. A reporter asked Trump about The Sun interview and he said that the publication left out some of the things he said about the prime minister because he never criticized her personally. He only criticized her plan:

“I didn’t criticize the prime minister,” Trump said. “I have a lot of respect for the prime minister. And unfortunately, there was a story that was done, which was, you know, generally fine. But it didn’t put in what I said about the prime minister. And I said tremendous things.”

Trump added that he had a recording of the interview and it would support his argument.

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

He said that whatever she decides to do with the EU “is OK with us” as long as America and Britain can continue trade. From CNN:

“Once the Brexit process is concluded, and perhaps the UK has left the EU — I don’t know what they’re going to do, but whatever you do is OK with me. That’s your decision. Whatever you’re going to do is OK with us. Just make sure we can trade together. That’s all that matters.”

May responded:

Trump explained that just because he thinks Johnson will be a great prime minister doesn’t mean he wants anything to happen to May. He went on to elaborate that the two have a great relationship and have grown closer during his short visit.

DONATE

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.

Comments

Close The Fed | July 13, 2018 at 9:13 am

Anything Trump can do to pressure Britain and the rest of Europe to reverse their current course on immigration and degradation of their own countries is a plus for western civilization and for all mankind.

Under May’s brexit plan, where does Britain have any right to negotiate a trade deal at all?

If Britain agrees to follow all of the EU trade rules, then any trade deal negotiated between Britain and the USA would also have to follow the EU trade rules. In effect, the USA would be negotiating with the EU using Britain as a go-between.

    notamemberofanyorganizedpolicital in reply to MSO. | July 13, 2018 at 9:50 am

    PM Neville Chamberlain May……..

    Milhouse in reply to MSO. | July 13, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    What trade rules? What are you talking about? The UK is not agreeing to follow EU trade rules. I don’t know where you heard that but it’s wrong. May has offered to have the UK harmonize its rulebook for goods with the EU’s common one, so that Europeans will be able to freely buy goods from the UK. Nothing directly to do with trade at all.

    (It indirectly affects trade because imported goods would have to comply with those standards; but even without this the UK would have to have some rulebook for goods, which imports would have to comply with, so how is it different if those rules happen to be the same as the EU’s?)

      Fen in reply to Milhouse. | July 14, 2018 at 7:19 am

      “What trade rules? What are you talking about? The UK is not agreeing to follow EU trade rules. I don’t know where you heard that but it’s wrong”

      Perhaps he got the idea from reading the UK government’s own White Paper:

      “The white paper confirms May’s policy of effectively staying in the single market for goods, meaning the UK would continue to follow EU rules and standards for the trade of goods after it has left the bloc.

      It also confirms her proposed “Facilitated Customs Arrangement,” a controversial customs arrangement which would see the UK collect EU tariffs on the bloc’s behalf on goods before they reach the EU.”

      https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-confirms-plan-to-keep-uk-wedded-to-eu-rules-after-brexit-2018-7

        Milhouse in reply to Fen. | July 15, 2018 at 11:27 am

        The white paper says the UK would harmonize its rules for goods with those of the EU, not its “trade rules”. The UK would be free to make any trade deal it liked with the USA or anyone else. Under any deal with anyone, goods entering any country have to conform with that country’s rules for each particular good; the US is no different in that from any other country.

        It also confirms her proposed “Facilitated Customs Arrangement,” a controversial customs arrangement which would see the UK collect EU tariffs on the bloc’s behalf on goods before they reach the EU.”

        What’s your objection to that, and how does it justify MSO’s uninformed comment?

Yeah, I’m interested in a quick compare/contrast between the Sun article and the recorded interview. I wonder if the Sun reporter *knew* he/she was being recorded. That certainly would come as quite a shock if they are caught with their pants down on this one.

Well, not as much a shock as Schadenfreude.

This is classic Trump negotiation. When he walks away, they aren’t sure where he stands. They make nice, but inside, their imagination is having a field trip. He leaves them with a modicum of dignity, but weakened in confidence.

Sooprise, Sooprise. Wonder if all the Fredocons over at NRO will admit they broadcast #FakeNews.

US trade with the UK, where the UK does not forge a clean break with the EU and negotiate as an independent entity, presents the same problem for US trade as NAFTA does. If the US and UK enter into a sweetheart trade deal and the UK remains a de facto, if not de jure, member of the EU trading alliance, then it serves as a backdoor for EU member’s products to enter the US bypassing tariffs and other trade controls. It diminishes the power of the US. And, Trump is not going to allow that.

What Trump is saying is that the UK can do whatever it wants to. But, it will have to live with the results of those decisions. And, one of those may be losing easy access to US markets, which comprise 27% of the entire global consumer base.

    Fen in reply to Mac45. | July 13, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    Excellent point. I did not catch that this is the same backdoor issue. And spot on as it appears your insight angered the right person to downvote such an innocent remark.

“Trump also told The Sun that the deal she struck is not the same that appeared in the referendum that the people voted for in April 2016.”

I’m falling in love. Do you think any of our Establishment Wing types would have publicly spotlighted such an uncomfortable truth?

For the 30 years since Reagan I have been annoyed that our leadership refused to simply speak the unvarnished truth.

Tear down this wall.

Amazing how quickly preference cascades sweep away the corrupted once someone makes a bold remark about the Emperor’s lack of clothes.

Aslan roars and everything false shatters.

    Fen in reply to Fen. | July 13, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Heh, CTH has an interview up relaying that Trump’s remark, “not the Brexit that was voted for”, has left their Establishment shell-shocked. The very last thing they wanted brought out into the light.

    So see? Grumpy Fen is not as crazy as they say 🙂 Don’t fret, I promise to try harder.

In 2010 they did speak the unvarnished truth. Until they were reelected.

Trump says we are going to make a trade deal.
We will.
But, we aren’t certain who we will be making it with.