General election 2019: Donald Trump attacks Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal
No. 10 dismisses US president’s dim view of UK-US trade prospects
Downing Street has been forced to defend the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal after damning criticism from Donald Trump.
Speaking to Nigel Farage on LBC, the president said the US “can’t make a trade deal with the UK” under Boris Johnson’s proposed withdrawal agreement.
Farage – a friend and supporter of Trump – is leader of the Brexit Party and is set to stand in the upcoming December general election. The former UKIP leader has stood for election to the Commons on seven occasions since the 1990s and failed each time.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What exactly did Trump say?
Trump said the US wants to trade with the UK, and the UK wants to trade with the US, reports the BBC, but: “To be honest with you… this deal… under certain aspects of the [Brexit] deal… you can’t do it. You can’t trade.
“We can’t make a trade deal with the UK because I think we can do many times the numbers that we’re doing right and certainly much bigger numbers than you are doing under the European Union.”
He later added that the UK was being “held back by the European Union” and that “they’re very tough people to deal with”, says the Daily Express.
What was the response from the UK Government?
A No. 10 spokesperson said the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal “ensures that we take back control of our laws, trade, borders and money.
“Under this new deal, the whole of the UK will leave the EU customs union, which means we can strike our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit,” they said.
And Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told BBC Radio 4’s Today that Johnson’s plan was a “good deal” that would allow the UK to “strike free trade deals around the world”.
“We know the deal enables us to secure deals with a range of growing economies [and] we’ll be setting out to do that,” said Jenrick.
What else was said?
Despite criticising his deal, Trump said Johnson was “the exact right guy for the times”, and told Farage that he and Johnson should “get together” to create “an unstoppable force” in UK politics.
“[Boris] is a fantastic man… and I know that you and him will end up doing something that could be terrific,” he told Farage.
Farage has so far refused to rule out the prospect of the Brexit Party withdrawing candidates from hundreds of seats rather than running against the Tories, says Sky News.
Trump took aim at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during the LBC call, saying he would be “so bad” as prime minister.
“Corbyn would be so bad for your country, so bad. He’d take you in such a bad way. He’d take you into such bad places,” said Trump. “But your country has tremendous potential. It’s a great country.”
He also denied Corbyn’s claims that the US was interested in profiting from NHS privatisation.
“I don’t even know where that started. I don’t even know where your healthcare system started with respect to us taking over your healthcare system. It’s so ridiculous. I think Corbyn put that out there.
“It’s not for us to have anything to do with your healthcare system. No, we’re just talking about trade.”
Corbyn responded with a tweet, saying that Trump was trying to “interfere” in the 12 December election and help Johnson.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Ecuador's cloud forest has legal rights – and maybe a song credit
Under the Radar In a world first, 'rights of nature' project petitions copyright office to recognise Los Cedros forest as song co-creator
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 3, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - presidential pitching, wavering convictions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
What might a Trump victory mean for the global economy?
Today's Big Question A second term in office for the 'America First' administration would send shockwaves far beyond the United States' shores
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Women take center stage in campaign finale
Speed Read Harris and Trump are trading gender attacks in the final days before the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How GOP election denial thrives in 2024
In the Spotlight Cleta Mitchell aided Donald Trump's efforts in 2020. She's back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Life in the post-truth era
Opinion The mainstream media can't hold back a tsunami of misinformation
By Theunis Bates Published
-
'Shale is crucial to the US economy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published