"I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer"
Donald Trump has once again given his thoughts on the UK and Brexit, just a day after
giving his backing to Boris Johnson.
In an interview with the
Sunday Times, Trump advised the UK to send Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage to negotiate a deal with the European Union.
He spoke about his admiration for Farage and said he thinks he's the best person to handle the negotiations and the UK has made a mistake by not involving him yet.
“I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer,” Trump said. “He is a very smart person. They won’t bring him in. Think how well they would do if they did. They just haven’t figured that out yet.”
Trump is due to go to the UK this week for a state visit and called on the UK to "get the deal closed."
The American president also said the next prime minister should refuse to pay the £39bn Brexit divorce bill and to “walk away” with no deal if Brussels does not agree to Britain's terms.
“If I were them I wouldn’t pay $50bn,” he said. “That is me. I would not pay, that is a tremendous number.”
It's the second time in as many days the US President has given his thoughts on UK politics in what is somewhat of a divergence from diplomatic norms.
