UK politicians reel as Trump unleashes criticism then charm

Britain has had a sharp lesson in dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump's appetite for disruption.

The British pound fell, then rallied, and U.K. politicians reeled, then steadied as Trump showered praise on Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday — hours after an interview in which he criticized her, praised a rival and gave her hard-won Brexit roadmap a battering.

President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May hold hands at the conclusion of their joint news conference at Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Trump threw his first visit to Britain as president into disarray with an interview in The Sun newspaper in which he said May had ignored his suggestions for negotiating Britain's departure from the European Union and likely "killed" a trans-Atlantic trade deal. He also said May's nemesis, Boris Johnson, who quit the government this week over Brexit differences, would make "a great prime minister."

President Donald Trump with British Prime Minister Theresa May during their joint news conference at Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Yet by Friday afternoon, Trump and May were fast friends. Trump labeled the U.S.-U.K. relationship "the highest level of special" and said May was an "incredible woman" doing a great job.

But his earlier attack shocked many politicians in Britain, where the most vicious differences are often masked by formal politeness.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, center, looks over toward President Donald Trump during their joint news conference at Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In one of the milder responses, Universities Minister Sam Gyimah tweeted: "Where are your manners, Mr. President?"

Even May's political opponents rallied to her defense. Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Trump should have kept his nose out of British politics.

"It's a very strange thing to do, to come on a visit to another country, to meet that country's prime minister, and then announce that you would like to see as her successor a person who's just resigned from her government," he said.

Close up of handshake between U.S. President Donald Trump, right, with British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, at Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Trump's Brexit broadside came as May was trying to shift stalled divorce negotiations with the EU into a higher gear. Britain will leave the bloc in March, but the two sides have not yet agreed on what sort of relationship they will have after that.

On Thursday, as Trump flew into Britain, May's government published a plan that includes free trade in goods and a common trade rule book with the EU.

Trump told The Sun that such a deal "will probably kill" any prospect of a U.S.-U.K. free-trade agreement. Boosting trans-Atlantic trade ties and paving the way for a post-Brexit deal was one of Britain's main goals for Trump's visit.

The pound fell 0.6 percent to $1.31 after Trump's comments. Connor Campbell, an analyst at SpreadEx, said Trump's remark about a trade deal "undermines the prime minister at the end of an already challenging week."

U.S. President Donald Trump, right, is greeted by British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, at Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

But after talks with May at her Chequers country retreat over a lunch of Dover sole, Chiltern lamb and lemon meringue pie, Trump said he thought a post-Brexit trade deal would be possible.

"The only thing I ask of Theresa is that we make sure we can trade and we don't have any restrictions because we want to trade with the U.K. and the U.K. wants to trade with us," he said.

Sterling rose to over $1.32 after the remarks.

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, gestures while speaking during their meeting with with British Prime Minister Theresa May, right, at Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Trump's interview had threatened to weaken May's already fragile hold on power. Her Conservative government is deeply split between supporters of a clean break with the EU and those who want to keep close ties with the bloc, Britain's biggest trading partner.

Brexit Secretary David Davis and Johnson, the former foreign secretary, both quit this week to protest May's trade plan. Johnson, who helped lead the campaign to take Britain out of the EU, accused May of killing "the Brexit dream."

In his interview, Trump praised Johnson — another unpredictable, talkative populist with a distinctive mop of hair.

A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of U.S. President Donald Trump hovers next to the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as it is flown as a protest against his visit, in Parliament Square in London, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

On Friday he repeated his opinion that Johnson "would be a great prime minister" — but added that May was doing "a fantastic job," too.

The bonhomie could not mask strong differences between Trump and politicians in Britain, from both government and opposition parties.

In the Sun interview, Trump renewed his attack on London's Mayor Sadiq Khan. The two politicians have clashed on Twitter over Trump's ban on immigrants from several mostly Muslim countries and on the president's views on crime and terrorism in Britain.

Khan's office also gave permission for London protesters to fly a 20-foot (6-meter) balloon depicting the U.S. president as a screaming baby near Parliament on Friday.

Trump claimed that London's first Muslim mayor "has done a very bad job on terrorism" and said Khan "has not been very hospitable" to him.

Tens of thousands of people marched in London Friday to protest Trump's visit. Many condemned Trump's anti-immigration statements and policies.

At a news conference with May, Trump repeated his belief that immigration had been "very bad for Europe" and for the United States.

May declined to agree, saying that "over the years, overall, immigration has been good for the U.K."

But in general all was friendly, the calm after the storm, as the two leaders faced reporters in the sun outside Chequers. Trump and his wife, Melania, then flew to Windsor Castle for tea with Queen Elizabeth II before traveling to a Trump golf resort in Scotland for the weekend.

"I have a lot of respect for the prime minister," Trump said. "I would much rather have her as my friend than my enemy, I can tell you."

Chimed May: "And we are friends."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down a decision so consequential it could alter the course of history -- but also end his own career -- House Speaker Mike Johnson prayed for guidance.

A conservative Christian, the speaker wrestled over whether to lead the House in approving $95 billion in desperately needed war-time aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, which many in his own Republican majority opposed — some so strongly they would try to boot him from office.

Or, he could do nothing, halting the flow of U.S. aid and potentially saving his own job but ensuring his place as the House speaker who led America’s retreat from the global stage and left Ukraine to fend for itself as it loses ground against the Russian invasion.

As Johnson met with colleagues late into the night this week at the speaker's office, they prayed on it.

“And then he told me the next day: I want to be on the right side of history,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Not quite six months on the job, Johnson’s leadership will help determine if the U.S. is able to hold its standing as what the speaker has called a “beacon of light” for the world, or if the military and humanitarian aid is left to crumble at a pivotal moment for the country, its allies and the speaker’s own livelihood. Voting is expected this weekend.

“He's learning," said Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House speaker.

Gingrich praised Johnson for not being cowed by the hard-right Republicans seeking to remove him from office, and instead reaching into his own deep well of beliefs as a Ronald Reagan-era Republican with an expansive view of the role of U.S., its allies and his own speakership to make a decision.

“This is the U.S. House. This is not a political playground,” Gingrich said. "We’re talking about real history, we’re talking about whether Russia potentially occupies Ukraine.”

Johnson tumbled into the speaker's office last fall, a relative unknown who emerged only after a chaotic internal party search to replace Kevin McCarthy, who was the first speaker in U.S. history to he booted from office.

Almost an accidental speaker, Johnson had no training and little time to prepare. One of his main accomplishments was helping to lead Donald Trump’s failed legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

From the start, the question hanging over the fourth-term Louisiana lawmaker was apparent: Would Johnson become a speaker with a firm grasp of the gavel, utilizing the power of the office that is second in the line of succession to the president?

Or would the House speaker, who portrays himself as a “servant leader” in the Christian tradition, be beholden to the unruly, essentially ungovernable Republican majority, many aligned with former President Trump.

“This is a Churchill or Chamberlain moment,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, referring to British leaders from the World War II era.

After months of dithering delays over the Ukraine aid, Johnson appeared this week determined to move past the populist far-right flank, and rely on Democrats to push the package forward, highly unusual in the deeply polarized House.

He had met recently with Trump, who objects to much overseas aid and has invited Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” in Ukraine, presenting his plan and avoiding public criticism from the former president.

Trump also gave Johnson a needed nod of support by panning the effort from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the presidential hopeful’s strongest allies in Congress, to evict the speaker.

In return, Johnson told Trump he could be the “most consequential president yet” if he is returned to the White House.

At the same time, Johnson has been speaking privately with President Biden, who gave Johnson a boost by quickly endorsing his foreign aid plan.

Still, what used to be considered the way Congress worked, the shared commitment to bipartisan compromise, has become such a political liability that more Republicans, including Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona, said they would join Greene's effort to oust Johnson. Some others said he should simply resign.

“I don’t think he’s being courageous. I think he’s fallen right in line with the swamp," said Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., a hardliner who voted to oust McCarthy and is considering the same for Johnson.

During his short term as speaker, Johnson has made a practice of convening lawmakers behind closed doors at his Capitol office for what are often long meetings. What some view as maddening sessions of endless arguing, shrinking the power of the speakership, others appreciate as him listening to lawmakers.

As crowds of spring tourists ushered past his office this week, Johnson holed up with lawmakers. One meeting dragged until midnight. The next day he displayed an unusual resolve.

"History judges us for what we do," Johnson said during an impromptu press conference in Statuary Hall.

“I could make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I'm doing here what I believe to be the right thing,” he said.

Johnson disclosed that his son is headed to the Naval Academy this fall.

“To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” he said.

“This is a live-fire exercise for me, as it is so many American families. This is not a game. This is not a joke.”

With the threat of his removal intensifying, Johnson said he would "let the chips fall where they may” on his own job.

On Friday, an overwhelming majority of the House, more than 300 lawmakers, more Democrats than Republicans, voted to push the package toward passage.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said of Johnson: “I, for one, am just very proud of what we would all refer to as a profile in courage in the face of these kinds of threats.”

But Democrats said they were baffled and saddened it took Johnson so long to do what they see as the right thing.

“This is a profile in delay,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

Some Democrats are saying that, unlike their refusal to help McCarthy stay in office, they would vote to save Johnson's job — if he wants it.

A growing list of Republican House speakers, starting with Gingrich, were chased from office or, like John Boehner and Paul Ryan, simply exited early.

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters just after lawmakers in the House pushed a $95 billion national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies closer to passage, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters just after lawmakers pushed a $95 billion national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies closer to passage, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)