Donald Trump has a ’special place’ in his heart for Britain and thinks Brexit is a ‘great thing’, according to Michael Gove
The President-elect’s ‘aggressive’ public persona is at odds with his warmer private side, said the ex-Cabinet Minister
BRITAIN has a "special place" in the heart of Donald Trump and thinks Brexit is a great thing, says Michael Gove after securing an exclusive interview with the controversial tycoon.
The former Cabinet Minister said the US President-elect’s elect’s “aggressive” public persona is at odds with his warmer private side.
Mr Gove was speaking to the media this morning about his hour-long sit down in Trump Tower with the man set to become the 45th President of the United States at this Friday’s inauguration.
He told the BBC Mr Trump wanted a trade deal in place ready to sign as soon as the UK left the EU.
"I think the president-elect wants to have something signature-ready at the earliest possible opportunity," he told Radio 4’s Today programme.
"He stressed that he believed the European Union would potentially break up in the future and that other countries would leave”, Mr Gove added. “So in a sense he is both emotionally and financially invested in it."
He said the offer of a US trade deal would strengthen Mrs May's hand in the Brexit negotiations with Brussels.
"The EU until now has been assumed to have a better hand to play, but the Prime Minister we now see has actually cards in her hand, including from candidate Trump, which will enable her, I think, to secure a better deal," Mr Gove said.
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Speaking to ITV, where Mr Trump praised Brexit as a "great thing", he said the real estate mogul should be viewed as a businessman and his offer of a trade deal was a "sincere wish".
He said he wants a "win-win deal" and some of his colourful campaign statements could be attributed to his background as a "marketeer".
And he told Good Morning Britain Mr Trump's "aggressive" public persona and Twitter outbursts is at odds with his warmer private side.
The former education secretary said before the meeting he had the impression of the US president-elect as a "big, bombastic personality".
"When you actually meet him, yes he is an electric figure - charismatic - but also he is warmer ... close up than you would imagine," he said.
The Prime Minister is expected to visit Washington to meet Mr Trump in the spring and Mr Gove said: "It is clear he is looking forward to meeting Theresa May, he had very warm words about her and about Britain generally.”
But there have been doubts about the strength of the special relationship since Mr Trump's election, and Mr Gove follows former Ukip leader Nigel Farage in meeting the president-elect before Mrs May or her ministers.
He said he had not spoken to Mrs May but told members of her team after the interview, and this morning praised the woman who kicked him out of Cabinet last summer for dong an "exemplary job" so far.
He said leaving the single market and customs union would be the "logical consequence" of the EU referendum result and suggested that Mrs May should confirm that in her major Brexit speech on Tuesday.