President Donald Trump has spoken of his meeting with the Queen – and strongly rejected that he was late to greet her or that he overstayed his welcome.
Speaking at a passionate rally in Pennsylvania last night, the president – who visited Britain in July – said the ‘fake, fake, disgusting news’ was responsible for lying about his encounter with Elizabeth II.
He said: ‘I was asked to have tea with the Queen, who is incredible by the way. Incredible.
‘I landed [and] I’m on the ground and I’m waiting with the King’s and the Queen’s guards, wonderful people. I’m waiting. I was about 15 minutes early and I’m waiting with my wife and that’s fine. Hey, it’s the Queen, right? We can wait. But I’m a little early.’
Donald Trump lashed out at the ‘fake, fake, disgusting news media’ and ‘low-IQ’ Maxine Waters during a typically passionate speech at a rally in Pennsylvania on Thursday night
![Speaking at a passionate rally in Pennsylvania last night, the president - who visited Britain earlier this month - said the 'fake, fake, disgusting news' was responsible for lying about his encounter with Elizabeth II](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC84E4F00000578-6021689-image-a-1_1533257705135.jpg)
Speaking at a passionate rally in Pennsylvania last night, the president – who visited Britain earlier this month – said the ‘fake, fake, disgusting news’ was responsible for lying about his encounter with Elizabeth II
![He said: 'I was asked to have tea with the Queen, who is incredible by the way. Incredible.' He also said the Queen and Melania liked each other](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC84E5700000578-6021689-image-a-2_1533257709553.jpg)
He said: ‘I was asked to have tea with the Queen, who is incredible by the way. Incredible.’ He also said the Queen and Melania liked each other
![Trump said he was kept waiting by the Queen and her guards before he could have tea with her at Windsor Castle](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC84FF700000578-6021689-image-a-3_1533257712319.jpg)
Trump said he was kept waiting by the Queen and her guards before he could have tea with her at Windsor Castle
![Queen Elizabeth II and President of the United States, Donald Trump walk from the Quadrangle after inspecting an honour guard at Windsor Castle on July 13](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC84E3500000578-6021689-image-a-4_1533257714942.jpg)
Queen Elizabeth II and President of the United States, Donald Trump walk from the Quadrangle after inspecting an honour guard at Windsor Castle on July 13
He added: ‘So, I then go up and meet the Queen and she is fantastic. We then go up and we have tea. And I didn’t know this – it was supposed to last 15 minutes but it lasted like an hour. Because we got along. And she liked our first lady and our first lady liked her.
‘But we got along fantastically well. But the time went by – you know, sometimes you get along and the time goes by.
‘So here was the story by the fake news: The president was 15 minutes late for the Queen. Wrong.
‘And then, here’s the rest of the story: The president overstayed. So I was late and I overstayed. But honestly, folks, it was such a beautiful, beautiful visit and afternoon.
‘But they can make anything bad because they are the fake, fake, disgusting news.’
He earlier said he has ‘great respect for the UK – the United Kingdom. Great respect.’
The president then discussed the country’s names, explaining: ‘People call it “Britain”, they call it “Great Britain”. They used to call it “England”, different parts. But the UK – great respect.’
![A protester was thrown out of the event after just 13 minutes as Trump shouted, 'Get them out of here'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC863FB00000578-6021451-image-a-45_1533255710249.jpg)
A protester was thrown out of the event just 13 minutes after Trump shouted, ‘Get them out of here’
![Trump made several attacks on the Press, which at one point he branded the 'fake, fake, disgusting news media' to chants of 'CNN sucks'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC84C0B00000578-6021451-image-a-37_1533254665719.jpg)
Trump made several attacks on the Press, which at one point he branded the ‘fake, fake, disgusting news media’ to chants of ‘CNN sucks’
He also lashed out at ‘low-IQ’ Maxine Waters during the speech.
Trump took the stage at an arena in Wilkes-Barre by declaring: ‘I’m thrilled to be back in the state that gave us American independence.’ A protester was thrown out of the event just 13 minutes as Trump shouted, ‘Get them out of here’.
The President asked his supporters to ‘remember that incredible night’ when he won the 2016 election and re-hashed favorite topics including his summits with Kim Jong-un and President Putin; tax cuts; immigration policy; and NATO military spending.
President Trump described how he told his wife about how he ‘just stopped missiles from being launched every two seconds’ or accomplished other things, and thinks the media’ is ‘finally going to treat me so good,’ but doesn’t.
He also mocked the press for saying he wasn’t tough enough on Putin.
‘They wanted me to go up and have a boxing match,’ he said. ‘Whatever happened to diplomacy?’
Trump described the meeting as ‘great’ and slammed the ‘Russian hoax’.
‘In Helsinki, I had a great meeting with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. We got along really well,’ Trump said. ‘By the way, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Now, we’re being hindered by the Russian hoax — it’s a hoax, ok?’
The President was speaking in Wilkes-Barre to back Rep. Lou Barletta, who is running to unseat two-term incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey.
Immigration was a key theme of the address, with the President referring to the truck attack in New York in October last year as evidence of the need for tougher entry restrictions.
Trump defended ICE officers, calling them ‘warriors’ and slammed Democrats for what he described as they support for ‘open borders and more crime’.
He also referred to his recent threat to shut down the government if Congress did not grant more money for immigration projects including the border wall.
The President cited Republican lawmakers who have told him that a government shutdown before the midterms is a bad idea, but followed this by saying how Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity thought it was a good one.
He said he was ‘a little bit torn’ over when to shut down the government, but said he would ‘personally prefer before’ the midterm elections.
‘Whether it’s before or after, we’re either getting it or we’re closing down government,’ he said.
![Trump waves to crowds as he arrives at Thursday's rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes Barre](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/08/03/00/wire-3835904-1533253172-219_634x451.jpg)
Trump waves to crowds as he arrives at Thursday’s rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes Barre
![Trump lauded his meeting with the Queen during a recent visit to Britain, calling her a 'great woman' and criticizing media reports that he was late](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/00/4EC82CF900000578-6021451-image-a-33_1533254201884.jpg)
Trump lauded his meeting with the Queen during a recent visit to Britain, calling her a ‘great woman’ and criticizing media reports that he was late
Trump heralded Rep. Barletta as a ‘legend’, adding: ‘He’s smart, he’s strong, he loves this state.’
Barletta is running to unseat two-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, whom Trump blasted as ‘so overrated’ and ‘Sleepy Bob’.
In his own address, Barletta claimed Casey had become one of the most liberal senators in Washington and says he no longer represents the values of the people of Pennsylvania.
Barletta is a fervent Trump supporter who shares Trump’s hard-line views on immigration.
He told Trump: ‘We’re not tiring of winning, Mr. President. We’re not tired of winning.’
More than 100 protesters lined up on either side of the sidewalk ahead of the rally, forcing Trump’s supporters to walk a narrow gantlet on their way to the arena as protesters scream at them, ‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’
Thirty-six-year-old union laborer Jeff LaFrance held up one end of a giant ‘Impeach Trump’ sign and says he has no sympathy for the rally attendees.
He said he thought ‘it’s shameful they could support someone the likes of Trump.’
![Supporters cheer President Trump as he walks onto the stage at the arena in Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC82A6D00000578-6021451-image-a-35_1533254582255.jpg)
Supporters cheer President Trump as he walks onto the stage at the arena in Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania
![President Trump listens to Senate candidate Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., speak during Thursday's rally](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/08/03/00/wire-3835896-1533253165-272_634x455.jpg)
President Trump listens to Senate candidate Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., speak during Thursday’s rally
![The rally comes at a tumultuous time for Trump, who lashed out this week at the Russia probe that threatens his presidency](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/03/01/4EC8358500000578-6021451-image-a-36_1533254620892.jpg)
The rally comes at a tumultuous time for Trump, who lashed out this week at the Russia probe that threatens his presidency
He also called Trump’s supporters ‘willfully ignorant’ about issues like the separation of migrant children from their parents at the U.S. border.
Most rallygoers ignored the taunts, but some engaged, yelling ‘Trump! Trump!’ or muttering epithets.
One man replied cheerfully, ‘I’m a proud Deplorable!’
The rally comes at a tumultuous time for Trump, who lashed out this week at the Russia probe that threatens his presidency.
It also comes during a period of heightened antagonism from Trump and his supporters toward the media.
Trump has accelerated his campaign schedule in recent weeks to help Republicans he favors both in primaries and November’s midterms.