‘Bad job’ Trump criticises Theresa May’s Brexit ‘disaster’ and hails Johnson as PM

The US President tipped Mr Johnson to fix her Brexit “disaster”, even though the result of the Conservative Party leadership contest has not even been announced yet. Mr Trump, who has made no secret of his support for the former London Mayor’s candidacy, was speaking after a telephone conversation with Mr Johnson. He told reporters in Washington: “I spoke to him yesterday, I think he’s going to do a great job, I think we’re going to have a great relationship.

I think the previous prime minister has done a very bad job with Brexit – what can I say, it’s a disaster.

“It shouldn’t be that way. I think Boris will straighten it out.”

Mr Trump’s comments are unlikely to impress those currently in Downing Street, given Mrs May remains in charge, with the result not due to be declared until Tuesday.

Mr Hunt is widely regarded as being on course to beat challenger and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to the top job once the results become known.

It is not the first time Mr Trump has criticised Mrs May, or offered his opinions on Brexit, in recent weeks.

After secret memos written by UK ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch were leaked earlier this month, Mr Trump took to Twitter to lambast not just him but also Mrs May.

He wrote: “I have been very critical about the way the U.K. and Prime Minister Theresa May handled Brexit. What a mess she and her representatives have created.

“I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way.

“I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the U.S.

“We will no longer deal with him. The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister.

“While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!”

Mr Trump’s enthusiasm for Mr Johnson indicate a willingness to overlook remarks made about him by Mr Johnson in the past.

Speaking in 2015 about Mr Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States, US-born Mr Johnson said Mr Trump was “clearly out of his mind”, while he has also accused him of “a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him, frankly, unfit to hold the office of president of the United States”.

However, he was lukewarm in his condemnation of Mr Trump after the Darroch incident, prompting Professor Tony Travers, director of LSE London, to tell Express.co.uk: “Mr Johnson is not willing to support a UK diplomat for fear of retribution in trade talks and diplomatic relations.

“That tells you something about the position of the UK here.

“The UK Government knows it has got to make a deal and they can’t afford to offend Donald Trump.”

source: express.co.uk