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A FRESH Cabinet bid to rally around Theresa May was torpedoed last night by fresh Brexit resignations and an extraordinary broadside from Donald Trump.

Just 48 hours before his arrival in Britain, the US president declared the UK to be “in turmoil”.

 Donald Trump called Boris Johnson his "friend"
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Donald Trump called Boris Johnson his "friend"Credit: AP:Associated Press

And in comments that infuriated No10, he sympathised with “my friend” Boris Johnson just a day after the Cabinet renegade sparked Westminster turmoil by quitting as Foreign Secretary.

Trump also suggested that his showdown talks with Russia boss Vladimir Putin next week will be easier than his meeting at Chequers on Friday with the PM.

In another chaotic day in Westminster:

  • Two rising star Tory MPs, Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield, delivered a fresh bombshell to Downing Street by quitting their posts as Conservative Party vice-chairs.
  •  The Tory Brexiteers’ European Research Group warned they would have “a resignation a day until recess” unless the PM agrees to reopen her new soft Brexit plan agreed at Chequers – including more from the Cabinet,
  •  The Sun can reveal that Boris will heap pressure on the PM my making a landmark resignation speech to the Commons next Monday.
  • Hardline Tory eurosceptics are planning to hijack two key Brexit votes in the Commons next week, adopting the guerrilla tactics of rebel Remainers.
 Donald Trump said he wanted to meet Boris Johnson on his UK trip this week
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Donald Trump said he wanted to meet Boris Johnson on his UK trip this weekCredit: BBC News
 Boris Johnson wrote his resignation letter to Theresa May yesterday - saying he couldn't support her Brexit plans
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Boris Johnson wrote his resignation letter to Theresa May yesterday - saying he couldn't support her Brexit plansCredit: Andrew Parsons

Mr Trump’s verbal battering came as he boarded a flight to Belgium for the NATO summit today.
It sent tensions between the White House and No10 soaring ahead of the president’s four day visit to Britain from tomorrow  night.

Predicting he will have “an interesting time in the UK”, Mr Trump said: “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?

“But the UK certainly have a lot of things going on.”

 Theresa May risks losing the confidence of her party
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Theresa May risks losing the confidence of her partyCredit: EPA

He also refused to back Mrs May staying on as PM, insisting it was a decision for British voters.

And in pointed remarks to back BoJo, the president added: “Boris Johnson is a friend of mine, he’s been very very nice to me, very supportive.

“Maybe we’ll speak to him when I get over there. I like Boris Johnson, I’ve always liked him.”

Boris stormed out of the Cabinet on Monday, saying his Brexit dream was “dying” and warning that the PM’s Chequers blueprint would leave the UK a “colony” of the EU.

The Sun can reveal that BoJo will take up his right as a departing Cabinet minister to deliver a potentially devastating resignation speech to the House of Commons on Monday.

Boris Johnson quits as Foreign Secretary following David Davis's resignation in wake of PM Theresa May's Brexit plan

Boris has told friends he feels “stung” by his former Cabinet colleagues’ criticisms of him that he has no alternative plan for Brexit.

He will use the high profile opportunity to paint an alternative “uplifting” vision to the PM’s of a fully independent Britain striding the world stage.

Tetchy Mrs May refused to engage directly with Trump’s criticisms.

Quizzed on them, the PM – dubbed a bossy school teacher by Mr Trump - would only say: “I’m looking forward to positive discussions with President Trump.

 Trump will visit the UK on Thursday
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Trump will visit the UK on ThursdayCredit: Reuters

“We will be talking positively about how we can continue to work together in our special relationship for the good of people living in the UK and the United States and, actually, for the wider good.”

Responding to the two new resignations, Mrs May held firm and again refused to look again at her new plan to share EU rules on goods and collect EU tariffs on the UK’s border.

The PM insisted that the Chequers blueprint “absolutely keeps faith with the vote of the British people”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered Mrs May the thinnest of lifelines on her Chequers plan last night.

 Donald Trump will largely stay out of London - where a large blimp of the President in a nappy will be flown over the city
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Donald Trump will largely stay out of London - where a large blimp of the President in a nappy will be flown over the city
 Full details of Trump's visit have been revealed
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Full details of Trump's visit have been revealed

Sharing a platform with her at a summit on the Western Balkans that the PM hosted in London, Mrs Merkel said of the new soft Brexit blueprint: “We have actually made progress. It’s a good thing we have proposals on the table”.

But the powerful German boss insisted the EU will respond in full as a group, once its chief negotiator Michel Barnier has studied the full plan when it is published as a white paper tomorrow.

In an extraordinary moment, Mrs May twice blocked British journalists questions to Mrs Merkel about Brexit at the press conference last night – with the response only finally coming to a German reporter’s similar question.

In better new for Mrs May, there was a major hint that the Brexit stand off between Dublin and London was beginning to thaw.

 Angela Merkel said "progress" had been made with the Brexit blueprint
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Angela Merkel said "progress" had been made with the Brexit blueprintCredit: AFP or licensors

Last night Irish boss Leo Vardakar called on Brussels to be more flexible to cut a deal with Britain.

After being briefed by Mrs May about her soft Brexit plan in a phone call on Saturday, the Taoiseach said: “if the UK is able to relax from some of its red lines, then the European Union should be flexible too.”

He added: “I think perhaps we are now entering into that space.”

Opening up another flank in their war of attrition against No10, it also emerged that Tory Brexiteers are planning to hijack two key Brexit votes in the Commons next week.

 MP Andrew Bridgen demanded a vote of no confidence in the PM
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 MP Andrew Bridgen demanded a vote of no confidence in the PM

Amendments to the Trade and Customs Bills are being “seriously discussed” by the ERG’s senior MPs.

Its leader Jacob Rees-Mogg wants to use them to curb a fresh attempt by ministers to give themselves new sweeping “Henry VIII” powers.

Other members want to go further and table an amendment to block the PM’s new customs plan to collect EU border tariffs.

Both could win significant Labour support, and force the PM to back down rather than face a disastrous Commons defeat.

 Donald Trump was attending the NATO summit in Brussels
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Donald Trump was attending the NATO summit in BrusselsCredit: Reuters