Donald Trump could get his wish of meeting the Queen – after agreeing with Theresa May that he will visit the UK later this year.
The US president and Prime Minister ordered officials to hammer out plans for a trip as they put on a show of unity in Davos yesterday.
His red-carpet state visit is still on ice, amid concerns about mass protests. But the lower-key ‘working visit’ is likely to include an encounter with the monarch, potentially over tea at the PM’s country residence Chequers.
The schedule will now be worked out by officials after Mr Trump and Mrs May reaffirmed their commitment to the Special Relationship during talks at the World Economic Forum.
The US president stressed the warmth of ties as he met the Prime Minister for talks at the World Economic Forum yesterday
The show of unity came after claims of rising tensions, with reports Mr Trump keeps interrupting the PM on the phone and his state visit invite has turned into a ‘nightmare’
The encounter – their first face-to-face meeting since September – was closely scrutinised for signs of friction, after insiders suggested relations have soured. As Mrs May nodded in agreement, Mr Trump said: ‘We love your country.’
They heaped praise on each other in a bid to kill off claims of rising tensions, with reports Mr Trump keeps interrupting the PM on the phone and his state visit invite has turned into a ‘nightmare’.
There was an extraordinary public row last year after Mr Trump retweeted anti-Muslim posts by a British Far Right group. The leaders have also disagreed about the Iran nuclear deal and the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
A plan for him to come to London to open the new US embassy next month was dramatically dropped, fuelling concerns about a breakdown in the historic alliance.
As the pair posed for photographs at the Swiss ski resort yesterday, Mrs May nodded along when Mr Trump said he wanted to correct ‘false rumours’ that they did not get on.
‘I think the feeling is mutual from the standpoint of liking each other a lot,’ he said. ‘We love your country.’
He added: ‘There is nothing that would happen to you that we won’t be there to fight for you – you know that.’
Mrs May replied: ‘As you say we had a great discussion today and we continue to have that really special relationship with the United States.
‘We stand shoulder to shoulder because we face the same challenges around the world.’
Mrs May said the ‘special relationship’ continued to matter because ‘we are facing the same challenges across the world’.
She said: ‘We are working together to defeat those challenges.
MAY ‘CAT THAT GOT THE CREAM’ AS TRUMP TURNS ON THE CHARM
Donald Trump arrived like a prize fighter before ‘manspreading’ in front of Prime Minister Theresa May, a body language expert has said.
Judi James said she was surprised to see the US President displaying ‘normal body language’ in Davos for the first time in the year she has been studying him.
She said that Mr Trump spoke in an ‘almost romantic tone’ when he referred to supporting Britain’s military – and Mrs May looked like ‘the cat that got the cream’.
Ms James added that Mr Trump displayed ‘no underlying signals of impatience’ while listening to Mrs May – and noted that he turned to look at her speak.
‘We are working for a good trade relationship in the future that will be to both our benefit.’
Mrs May said it was ‘great to see’ the President as they shook hands, with Mr Trump returning the compliment.
He said: ‘The Prime Minister and myself have had a really great relationship, although some people don’t necessarily believe that but I can tell you I have tremendous respect for the Prime Minster and the job she is doing.
‘And I think the feeling is mutual from the standpoint of liking each other a lot.
‘So there was a little bit of a false rumour out there and I just wanted to correct it frankly.’
Mr Trump said there would be a ‘tremendous increase in trade between our two countries, great for both in terms of jobs’.
‘We look forward to that, we are starting that process pretty much as we speak.’
The PM and President were bombarded with questions about when Mr Trump would take up his state visit invite, but he just said they would be ‘talking about’ the issue.
Downing Street said the visit would be in the ‘second half of the year’.
A read-out issued by No10 revealed that in their private discussions the leaders discussed Bombardier, the aircraft firm that is facing punitive tariffs in a dispute with the US authorities. The PM ‘reiterated the importance of the company’s jobs in Northern Ireland’, according to a spokesman.
They also spoke about Iran, where the governments differ on whether to support the deal to stop it developing nuclear weapons.
‘The Prime Minister updated the President on the good progress which had been made in the Brexit negotiations so far,’ No10 said.
‘The two leaders reiterated their desire for a strong trading relationship post-Brexit, which would be in the interests of both countries. ‘
The leaders and their teams posed for photographs after they held talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday