Trump praises Brexit after meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May

President Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May.

(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

published 27 January 2017

President Trump applauded Brexit during his joint press conference Friday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, following their meeting at the White House. He predicted Brexit would be "a wonderful thing" for Britain because "you're going to have the people you want in your country," and he vowed that "today the U.S. renews our deep bond with Britain."

May later announced that Trump has accepted a state visit invitation from the Queen for later this year, and she also said Trump has indicated he is "100 percent behind NATO." "I'm delighted to be able to congratulate you on what was a stunning election victory," she said.

During the question-and-answer portion of the press conference, Trump was asked about his scheduled Saturday phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he's had "many times where I thought I'd get along with people and I don't like them at all," apparently implying this could happen with Putin, and he also said it's "very early" to be talking about whether his administration will drop the U.S. sanctions on Russia. He also reiterated his belief that torture is effective, though he said he would defer to Defense Secretary James Mattis, who has stated his opposition to the tactics.