Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn on Tuesday. Donald Trump expects to see a country in turmoil when he lands in the UK on Thursday for a two-day visit he said would make his subsequent summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki seem easy.
The president spoke to reporters on the south lawn of the White House on Tuesday morning, before boarding Marine One to begin his trip to Europe, which will begin with a Nato summit in Brussels.
He repeated familiar criticism of Nato and spoke warmly of Boris Johnson, the British foreign secretary and Brexit leader who resigned from the government of Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday. Trump said Johnson had been very nice and very supportive.
It’s going to be an interesting time in the UK and certainly an interesting time with Nato, Trump said, over the noise of the helicopter. Nato has not treated us fairly but I think we’ll work something out. We pay far too much and they pay far too little. But we will work it out and all countries will be happy.
So I have Nato, I have the UK which is in somewhat turmoil, and I have Putin. Frankly Putin may be the easiest of them all, who would think. Who would think. But the UK certainly has a lot of things going on.
I have not, no I have not, he said. Boris Johnson’s a friend of mine, he’s been very nice to me, very supportive and maybe I’ll speak to him when I get over there. I like Boris Johnson, I’ve always liked him.
Trump was also asked if May should stay in power.
UK police are mobilising in numbers not seen since widespread rioting in 2011, in order to meet planned anti Trump protests.
Trump also stoked domestic controversy by refusing to say if he saw Putin as a friend or a foe.
Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is due in court on Tuesday as part of his plea deal with Mueller.
I really can’t say right now, Trump said. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a competitor. I think that getting along with Russia, getting along with China, is a good thing.
They didn’t give it, Trump said. I have it for him. They didn’t give it. But it will be given at a certain period. I actually do, I actually do have a little gift for him, but you’ll find out what that gift is when I give it.