Trump's UK visit: President says Britain's exit from EU would be 'very good' for the country - USA TODAY

Kim Hjelmgaard, Michael Collins and David Jackson USA TODAY

Published 10:37 AM EDT Jun 4, 2019

LONDON – President Donald Trump predicted Tuesday that Britain would follow through with its plans to leave the European Union and said the exit would be “very good” for the country.

“I think it will happen, and it probably should happen,” Trump said at a news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

May, who is leaving office on Friday after failing to arrange Britain’s exit from the E.U., said she still believes it is in the country’s best interests to leave with an agreement for withdrawal. But she said she would not take Trump’s suggestion and “stick around” so the U.S. and U.K. can negotiate a trade deal once Britain departs the E.U.

“I’m a woman of my word,” she said, emphasizing that she will leave office as planned.

Trump said the United States is committed to negotiating "a phenomenal" trade deal with Britain.

The joint news conference between the two leaders came as Trump's state visit to Britain shifted gears from pomp and pageantry to talks over a range of policy issues from climate to Iran that the close allies disagree over. 

Earlier Tuesday, Trump told May at a meeting with U.S. and British business leaders that she should "stick around" so the two nations can do a trade deal. "Let’s do this deal," Trump said to May at the event, at St. James’s Palace in London. 

May formally relinquishes her role as prime minister on Friday. 

Trump is spending three days in Britain with first lady Melania Trump and his adult children. The trip is aimed at celebrating the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States before Trump travels to Ireland and France for bilateral meetings and a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Trump's U.K. visit: What you need to know, from royal ceremony to protests

Opinion: Trump’s disrespect for McCain, POWs makes mockery of D-Day trip

On Monday, the Trumps visited Buckingham Palace, where they met the queen and her son and heir Prince Charles. They were feted at a lavish banquet where Britain's 93-year-old monarch toasted an alliance that ensured "the safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades." Trump spoke of the two nations' "eternal friendship." 

But Tuesday's schedule turned more to politics and will highlight fresh uncertainty in the allies' storied relationship, not least because of May's impending departure as Britain's leader. From Friday, May will be in a caretaker role as her ruling Conservative Party begins a weeks-long process to succeed her as prime minister.  

May stepped down after failing to arrange Britain's exit from the EU, now delayed until at least Oct. 31, unless both sides agree to an extension. Trump has stated that his British political ally Nigel Farage, an outspoken advocate of leaving the EU without a deal, should be given a role in the negotiations. He has also taken the unusual diplomatic step of advocating for his "friend" Boris Johnson – a prominent U.S.-born, gaffe-prone politician who campaigned to leave the bloc – to be Britain's new leader. 

"Big Trade Deal is possible once U.K. gets rid of the shackles. Already starting to talk," Trump tweeted Monday, referring to the country's potential opportunity to sign a bilateral trade accord with the U.S. once it leaves the EU, known as Brexit. 

War of words:Trump starts U.K. state by calling London mayor 'stone cold loser'

Trump and May met with American and British corporate executives including CEOs and senior representatives from BAE Systems, GlaxoSmithKline, Barclays, Reckitt Benckiser, JP Morgan, Lockheed Martin and Goldman Sachs International. His daughter Ivanka Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also attended the business roundtable. 

May said trade between Britain and the U.S. last year was worth almost $240 billion.

She said British companies employ a million people across the U.S, and that "every morning, a million people in the U.K. go to work for American employers in the U.K."

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters poured into central London to take part in a "Carnival of Resistance" in opposition to Trump. Environmental activists, anti-racism campaigners and women’s rights protesters will take to the streets around Parliament Square to declare a "Trump-free zone." Also participating: The phone-wielding, diaper-wearing inflatable blimp known as "Trump Baby."

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who boycotted the state dinner, tweeted the protests were "an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those (Trump) has attacked in America, around the world and in our own country," including London's Mayor Sadiq Khan. Trump called him a "stone cold loser" just before arriving in Britain.

Queen Elizabeth's glittery state banquet: Toasts and national anthems

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2019-06-04 14:23:34Z
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China chides Mike Pompeo after he calls on them to reveal Tiananmen Square death toll - Fox News

China admonished comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the 30th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protest, saying Tuesday the top U.S. diplomat spoke "out of prejudice and arrogance."

Pompeo had issued a statement Monday on the eve of the crackdown saluting what he called the "heroes of the Chinese people who bravely stood up thirty years ago in Tiananmen Square to demand their rights."

The seven-week-long Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and their bloody end, where hundreds if not thousands of people are believed to have died, snuffed out a tentative shift toward political liberalization. Pompeo urged China to make a full, public accounting of those killed but admitted the country has not become more transparent in the decades since.

In this early June 4, 1989 file photo, a student protester puts barricades in the path of an already burning armored personnel carrier that rammed through student lines during an army attack on pro-democracy protesters on Beijing's Tiananmen Square. (AP Photo/Jeff Widener)

"Over the decades that followed, the United States hoped that China's integration into the international system would lead to a more open, tolerant society," Pompeo said. "Those hopes have been dashed."

CHINA ISSUES CITIZENS US TRAVEL ALERT, WARNS OF HARASSMENT

In a statement posted on the Chinese Embassy's website in Washington, a spokesperson said Pompeo's statement "grossly intervenes in China's internal affairs, attacks its system, and smears its domestic and foreign policies."

Chinese authorities stepped up security Tuesday around Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, a reminder of the government's attempts to quash any memories of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests 30 years ago. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

"This is an affront to the Chinese people and a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations," the statement read. "The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to it."

China claimed that the government and people "reached the verdict on the political incident of the late 1980s long ago," and has since enacted reform that has led to "rapid economic and social development, continuous progress in democracy and the rule of law, flourishing culture and significantly improved standards of living."

A policeman stands guard near anti-riot gear and fire extinguishers in front of Mao Zedong's portrait on Tiananmen Gate on the 30th anniversary of a bloody crackdown of pro-democracy protestors in Beijing, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

"China's human rights are in the best period ever," the statement continued. "Socialism with Chinese characteristics, a choice of history and the people, has been proved a right path in line with China's national conditions and supported by the whole population."

In his statement on Monday, Pompeo had praised the student-led democracy protests as having the courage to serve as "an inspiration to future generations calling for freedom and democracy around the world."

In this June 10, 1989 file photo, People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops stand guard with tanks in front of Tiananmen Square after crushing the students pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing. (AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikami)

But Chinese officials fired back with their most loaded language. 

"The Chinese people have the best say on China," a spokesperson said. "Their pursuit of a better life cannot be stopped by any force. Whoever attempt to patronize and bully the Chinese people in any name, or preach a 'clash of civilizations' to resist the trend of times will never succeed. They will only end up in the ash heap of history."

US-CHINA TRADE WAR UNLIKELY TO END SOON, EX-CHINESE CENTRAL BANK CHIEF SAYS

The back-and-forth between the two nations came as China went into customary lockdown Tuesday for the 30th anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

Extra checkpoints and street closures greeted tourists who showed up before 5 a.m. to watch the daily flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, while people overseas found themselves blocked from posting anything to a popular Chinese social media site.

China has largely succeeded in wiping the bloody crackdown from the public consciousness at home. For many Chinese, the 30th anniversary of the crackdown passed like any other weekday. Any commemoration of the event is not allowed in mainland China, and the government has long blocked access to information about it on the internet.

A male tourist in his 30s near the square, who gave his family name as Zhang, told Reuters he had no idea about the anniversary.

“Never heard of it,” he said. “I’m not aware of this.”

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Thousands were expected to turn out for a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory that has relatively greater freedoms than the mainland, though activists are concerned about the erosion of those liberties in recent years.

Half a dozen activists could not be reached by phone or text on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. One who could, Beijing-based Hu Jia, told the news agency he had been taken by security agents to the northeastern coastal city of Qinghuangdao last week. Chinese authorities routinely take dissidents away on what are euphemistically called "vacations", or otherwise silence them during sensitive political times.

"This is a reflection of their fears, their terror, not ours," Hu said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-06-04 13:05:53Z
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Trump's UK visit: President says Britain's exit from EU would be 'very good' for the country - USA TODAY

Kim Hjelmgaard, Michael Collins and David Jackson USA TODAY

Published 10:13 AM EDT Jun 4, 2019

LONDON – President Donald Trump predicted Tuesday that Britain would follow through with its plans to leave the European Union and said the exit would be “very good” for the country.

“I think it will happen, and it probably should happen,” Trump said at a news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

May, who is leaving office on Friday after failing to arrange Britain’s exit from the E.U., said she still believes it is in the country’s best interests to leave with an agreement for withdrawal. But she said she would not take Trump’s suggestion and “stick around” so the U.S. and U.K. can negotiate a trade deal once Britain departs the EU.

“I’m a woman of my word,” she said, emphasizing that she will leave office as planned.

Trump said the United States is committed to negotiating "a phenomenal" trade deal with Britain when it leaves the E.U.

The joint news conference between the two leaders came as Trump's state visit to Britain shifted gears from pomp and pageantry to talks over a range of policy issues from climate to Iran that the close allies disagree over. 

Earlier Tuesday, Trump told May at a meeting with U.S. and British business leaders that she should "stick around" so the two nations can do a trade deal. "Let’s do this deal," Trump said to May at the event, at St. James’s Palace in London. 

May formally relinquishes her role as prime minister on Friday. 

Trump is spending three days in Britain with first lady Melania Trump and his adult children. The trip is aimed at celebrating the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States before Trump travels to Ireland and France for bilateral meetings and a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Trump's U.K. visit: What you need to know, from royal ceremony to protests

Opinion: Trump’s disrespect for McCain, POWs makes mockery of D-Day trip

On Monday, the Trumps visited Buckingham Palace, where they met the queen and her son and heir Prince Charles. They were feted at a lavish banquet where Britain's 93-year-old monarch toasted an alliance that ensured "the safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades." Trump spoke of the two nations' "eternal friendship." 

But Tuesday's schedule turned more to politics and will highlight fresh uncertainty in the allies' storied relationship, not least because of May's impending departure as Britain's leader. From Friday, May will be in a caretaker role as her ruling Conservative Party begins a weeks-long process to succeed her as prime minister.  

May stepped down after failing to arrange Britain's exit from the EU, now delayed until at least Oct. 31, unless both sides agree to an extension. Trump has stated that his British political ally Nigel Farage, an outspoken advocate of leaving the EU without a deal, should be given a role in the negotiations. He has also taken the unusual diplomatic step of advocating for his "friend" Boris Johnson – a prominent U.S.-born, gaffe-prone politician who campaigned to leave the bloc – to be Britain's new leader. 

"Big Trade Deal is possible once U.K. gets rid of the shackles. Already starting to talk," Trump tweeted Monday, referring to the country's potential opportunity to sign a bilateral trade accord with the U.S. once it leaves the EU, known as Brexit. 

War of words:Trump starts U.K. state by calling London mayor 'stone cold loser'

Trump and May met with American and British corporate executives including CEOs and senior representatives from BAE Systems, GlaxoSmithKline, Barclays, Reckitt Benckiser, JP Morgan, Lockheed Martin and Goldman Sachs International. His daughter Ivanka Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also attended the business roundtable. 

May said trade between Britain and the U.S. last year was worth almost $240 billion.

She said British companies employ a million people across the U.S, and that "every morning, a million people in the U.K. go to work for American employers in the U.K."

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters were expected in central London to take part in a "Carnival of Resistance" in opposition to Trump. Environmental activists, anti-racism campaigners and women’s rights protesters will take to the streets around Parliament Square to declare a "Trump-free zone." Also participating: The phone-wielding, diaper-wearing inflatable blimp known as "Trump Baby."

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who boycotted the state dinner, tweeted the protests were "an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those (Trump) has attacked in America, around the world and in our own country," including London's Mayor Sadiq Khan. Trump called him a "stone cold loser" just before arriving in Britain.

Queen Elizabeth's glittery state banquet: Toasts and national anthems

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2019-06-04 14:00:36Z
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Live: President Trump, UK Prime Minister Theresa May hold joint press conference - Fox News

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2019-06-04 12:39:59Z
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Trump co-hosts business round table event with Theresa May - Fox News

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2019-06-04 12:22:41Z
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Trump's children make play for royal treatment - CNN

Queen Elizabeth II formally invited just President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to travel to London for an official State Banquet at Buckingham Palace. But the event became more of an extended family affair, with Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and his wife Lara, and Tiffany Trump all joining the exclusive party.

The President's eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, was already set to attend in her capacity as a formal adviser to the President, and a senior member of his administration. Her husband, Jared Kushner, is also part of the United States delegation attending the ceremonial events.

For the President, bringing his adult children, in his view, is akin to showcasing his version of royalty. In an interview ahead of the trip with the British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Trump said he wanted Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany to hold a "next generation" meeting with the Prince William and his wife, Kate, and Prince Harry.

"I think my children will be meeting them," said Trump. "It would be nice."

Though they mingled at the State Banquet, there were no plans for a sit-down meeting, a royal source told CNN International correspondent Max Foster.

A family affair

Trump's business has always been a family affair: He became a New York real estate magnate with the help of a loan from his father, Fred Trump, his then-wife Ivana Trump worked with him while they were married, and Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric all joined the Trump Organization when they came of age. But the family Trump is a far cry from the American political dynasties of the past -- the Kennedys, the Bushes. Further, a vision of the President's children as America's equivalence to the Royal Family is at odds with everything Trump's brand as a status quo disruptor.

Trump ran in the 2016 presidential race promising to "drain the swamp" and railing against political establishment at every turn, particularly his GOP primary rival Jeb Bush, the brother of one American president and son of another.

But since taking office, he elevated his daughter and son-in-law to two of the highest-ranking appointments inside the West Wing. He even suggested that she could hold public office herself after he leaves office.

"If she ever wanted to run for president," the President said this year, "I think she'd be very, very hard to beat."

But that his daughter hasn't expressed any interest in running to him. For now, she continues her work on largely noncontroversial West Wing portfolio and style herself as a diplomat on the world stage. On Tuesday, she is expected to appear alongside her father at a business roundtable and bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Theresa May as part of the official US delegation.

Separate lives

The full complement of Trump's adult children, while present at the odd family event or holiday at Trump's homes in Palm Beach and Bedminster, are a relatively scarce presence at the White House.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump live in New York City, where they assumed control of the family real estate business, though Don Jr. now spends a significant amount of time traveling the country to attend events, rallying and fundraising for the 2020 campaign season alongside girlfriend and campaign senior adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Tiffany Trump, the only child of Trump's marriage to second wife, Marla Maples, is about to begin her third year at Georgetown University Law School in Washington where she lives off-campus in a downtown apartment. Tiffany has spent part of her summer break in Europe, attending swanky events in Cannes, France, during the fabled film festival, posting photos from a yacht anchored in the Mediterranean, and this week back in London, where her boyfriend is said to live.

Ivanka Trump was in town ahead of her father's arrival, too, posting on her Instagram account a visit to the Albert & Victoria museum to see the sold-out Christian Dior exhibition. As a member of the delegation, she joined other high-level staffers on a Buckingham Palace balcony for the formal arrival ceremony as her father inspected British troops.

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2019-06-04 11:36:48Z
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What to get a queen? Inside the Trumps' gifts for Royals - CNN

The process requires thought, attention to detail, coordination with the State Department, and adhering to the highest levels of protocol, and it appears they delivered. Finding the best gifts can be complex -- it should be personal and most nod to some sort of historical touchstone between the two countries, or the gifter and the receiver.

The Trumps came bearing a Tiffany & Co. silver and silk poppy brooch in a custom White House wood jewelry box in a red leather box for Queen Elizabeth II, according to the White House.

For her husband, Prince Philip, they brought a personalized Air Force One jacket and signed autobiography by American General and famed World War II air commander James Doolittle, "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again."

Though Prince Philip left active duty naval service when he married then-Princess Elizabeth, he holds a number of military appointments, including as Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

The first lady was "very involved with the gift selection," her spokesperson Stephanie Grisham said.

"Working with the State Department, Mrs. Trump takes great care in selecting meaningful gifts," she added.

Likewise, the Trumps were presented with thoughtful gifts of their own in keeping with longstanding tradition.

For the President, the Queen gifted a 1959 first edition copy of Winston Churchill's "The Second World War" bound in full crimson goatskin with gold tooling and a three-piece Duofold pen set.

Trump has a known affinity for Churchill; in one of his first notable acts as President, he restored the bust of Winston Churchill, which had been moved during the Obama administration, to the Oval Office.

For the first lady, a specially commissioned silver box with a handcrafted enamel lid.

CNN's Max Foster contributed to this report.

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2019-06-04 11:11:25Z
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